When I Feel Like Crawling Back into Bed

And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. 1 Samuel 17:49

Yesterday was a tough workout at the gym, wiping me out for a couple of hours. Though it wasn’t pleasant, I was later glad that I’d done it, because I understand that it takes sacrifice to get where I want to go. So, once it was over, I felt good about it. As I was walking out the door at 5:30AM though, heading to the gym, I wasn’t so sure. The workout and the yard work of the previous day had left me sore all over. I hadn’t slept well, and honestly, I felt like crawling back into bed. So, I had that moment at the door when I considered another hour of sleep. Then, however, I thought about my next competition. I know where I want to be, and I know I won’t get there in my bed. I knew what the healthy choice was, and later, I was glad I’d done it. At the moment of choosing though, I just didn’t feel like it.

Would I do the right thing? That’s the question of today’s passage. In the story, we’re told of David’s heroic defeat of Goliath. It’s an inspiring story of faith against impossible odds. No one believed David could defeat the giant, but David believed in and followed God. When I read the story, I think – I’d like to have that kind of faith. I’d like to believe that I’d do what’s right, even when everyone around me does wrong. I know the end of the story though and what I want is to simply skip to the hero’s reward. I don’t actually want to experience the fear of the giant towering over me while every sane person runs away. Rather, I just want to jump to the end, reaping the rewards.

Just like at the gym though, I can’t skip ahead. If I’m going to get where I want to be in six months, then today, I must do the hard thing. What I do today is preparation for tomorrow. If I crawl back into bed every day, instead of going to the gym, the results in six months will be predictable.

Would I do the right thing? I’d like to believe that if I’m ever confronted with a hero’s choice, like David, I’ll live by faith. What I do in that moment though, is determined by my choices today. Am I following God today, doing what’s right, even in the little decisions? Or am I simply following myself? The choices I make today, even if they seem small, determine my tomorrow.