The sun hadn’t risen yet, but he was already drenched in sweat.
Breath visible in the morning chill. Laces double-knotted.
No earbuds, no crowd, just the rhythm of sneakers striking pavement and the faint hum of focus in his chest.
He didn’t train for applause. He trained for readiness.
No shortcuts. No distractions. No excuses.
Just one goal, to be stronger tomorrow than he was today.
Every drop of sweat was a down payment on endurance.
Every early morning was a declaration of intent.
Every ache? Proof that the work was real.
That image stuck with me. Because if that’s what it takes to prepare for a race that fades with time…
how much more should we “train ourselves for godliness”?
“Train yourself for godliness.” - 1 Timothy 4:7 (ESV)
Word Study: γύμναζε (gymnaze) – Strong’s 1128
“To train by physical exercise; to practice discipline in the fullest sense.”
Originally meant to train naked, as athletes did in ancient Greek gymnasiums, removing anything that could hinder movement. Paul uses this word in 1 Timothy 4:7 to call believers to undistracted, exposed, consistent spiritual training.
Not casual. Not comfortable. Focused. Honest. All in.
Shedding What Slows Us
Spiritual growth doesn’t happen on accident.
It’s not downloaded or gifted, it’s trained.
And like the ancient athletes, if we want to grow, we have to start by taking things off.
“Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely…” - Hebrews 12:1 (ESV)
Sometimes what holds us back isn’t sin, but clutter:
- too much noise
- constant entertainment
- our obsession with productivity
- comparison on social media
- even busyness for God… without being with God
The race requires us to strip away whatever numbs our hunger for Him.
We train best when we come before God unencumbered, no pretense, no mask, no idol.
Naked in honesty. Free to move.
Maybe the reason I’m spiritually sluggish isn’t because I’m unwilling to train… but because I’ve refused to undress.
Principles of Spiritual Sweat
Here’s what spiritual training actually looks like:
1. Show Up Anyway
That runner didn’t wait to feel like training, he laced up anyway.
The same is true with prayer, Scripture, fasting, worship, and community.
Discipline doesn’t wait on emotion. It acts in obedience.
2. Strip What Hinders
The ancients trained with nothing to hide and nothing to hinder.
We must ask: What’s dressing my devotion in distraction?
Let’s shed the excess and train honestly before the Lord.
3. Repeat the Basics
Strength is built in repetition.
Growth happens in the mundane, not just the miraculous.
God meets us in the ordinary rhythm of spiritual habits.
4. Rest with Purpose
Athletes know: without recovery, strength breaks down.
Sabbath. Silence. Stillness. These are not lazy, they are holy.
True rest is not escape, it’s communion.
5. Fix Your Eyes Forward
He trained with a finish line in mind.
So do we.
“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 3:14
Our prize isn’t praise or performance.
It’s Christlikeness, becoming more like Jesus so we can reflect Him more faithfully in a weary world.
Closing Reflection
No one drifts into godliness.
There’s no hack, shortcut, or spiritual six-pack.
But if you’re sweating, aching, repeating…
if you’re stripping off distractions and showing up anyway…
you might just be doing it right.
Because godliness isn’t grown in comfort, it’s forged in commitment.
…just a thought.
What’s one weight you need to lay aside to train more freely for godliness?
