Blood, Sweat, and Tears

At one time in their history the Florida A & M Rattlers football team used a three squad system, calling them blood, sweat, and tears. I don’t recall who did what in the offensive and defensive alignments, but the description represents a vivid picture of commitment to their assignments. The idea of hard work is the meat and potatoes of athletic competition. Football teams all over the United States are bleeding, sweating, and probably shedding a few tears. I remember one of my high school team mates crying out loud during a particularly difficult drill. I also remember as an eighth grader going into the football locker room after a very close and hard-fought game. Our team lost. One of the seniors was sitting up against the wall crying like a baby. This really caught my attention. He was also a golden gloves boxer. Don’t tell me real men don’t cry.

The apostle Paul saw something beyond all the hard work of athletes to excel and win. He wrote to the Corinthian church, whose city hosted the famed Isthmian games every two years, and reminded them of what it takes to be a world-class servant of God. It takes self-denying, labor-intensive, year-round commitment to win the race or the boxing match (1 Cor. 9:24-27). How can it be any less for the Christian who loves God and lives to please Him? The body has to be disciplined. The athlete leads his body. He doesn’t follow it. To buffet the body is to accept hardships in order to spread the gospel. But there is a danger here. Without some other vital truths, Christianity could be reduced to a severe, tough-it-out, joyless regimen. The truth is that because of the believer’s love for God (loving God with one’s strength, Deut. 6:5), self-control is a delightful choice.

The Christian life as hard work is an oxymoron to many in the church. “Let go and let God” is the motto often proclaimed in Christian life conferences. However, it represents a flawed view of true discipleship. Faith is not independent of effort. Listen to Scripture. Unity in the church requires effort (Eph. 4:3). Living a God-pleasing life demands thought, planning, and energy (2 Tim. 2:15; Heb. 4:11; 2 Pet. 1:5, 10). The generous use of the word “work” in the New Testament tells us something important about following Christ. Without a doubt we are not saved by our works but by God’s grace (Eph. 2:9). But we have been born again for the purpose of good works (Eph. 2:10). It is work to come alongside a brother or sister in Christ and help them bear their burdens (Gal. 6:2). It doesn’t come easy to get up early in the morning and read your Bible and pray. There will be some tears shed when two believers repent of their sins toward one another and reconcile. Resisting temptation is heavy lifting. It is relatively easy to yield to temptation by hitting the right keys and going off into the world of cybersex. It requires strength to run away from Potiphar’s wife wherever she may be found (Gen. 39:12).

There may be some who will cringe at all this talk about self-discipline, effort, blood, sweat, and tears. It may smack of legalism and a joyless Christianity. Legalism perverts effort in the Christian walk into a prideful attempt to bribe God with good deeds. It is a mutation of the deadly sort that gives true Christianity a bad reputation. The work that goes into loving God with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength is a pleasure and can only be accomplished by God’s grace. Notice the times the various words for power are used in the Epistles of the New Testament. Paul says that he did what he did through the working of God’s power (Eph. 3:7). His prayers for fellow believers are laced with petitions for God’s power (Eph. 1:19; Col. 1:11). Peter encourages the church with the truth that God’s children have been endowed with divine power at the moment of their regeneration (2 Pet. 1:3). Divine energy is needed if God’s work is going to be done through earthen vessels (2 Cor. 4:7). Both physical and spiritual strength come from our omnipotent God. Thankfully, therefore, we are not left to ourselves to engage in the labor of love for God’s kingdom.

We have been given examples of those who shed their blood for the sake of the gospel (e.g. Stephen, Acts 7:58). Tears and trials were a large part of Paul’s service for the Lord (Acts 20:19, 31; 2 Cor. 2:4). Cross-bearing is sweaty and hard work. But, oh, what everlasting joy there is for those who want nothing more than to run the race to win, who cherish the prospect of finishing well, and who count it all joy to work hard for the pleasure of God.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church