Do You Want to Go Back?

• By candidasullivan
• September 16, 2026
• No Comments

I don’t want to go to the gym this morning. I didn’t want to go yesterday either. Sometimes it’s incredibly hard to do the things we know we need to do. I would rather go back to bed. Then I remembered what it felt like to lie in bed when I could barely walk. 

Do you want to go back?

That question propels me forward. It strengthens my determination, boosts my willpower, and helps me do what I need to do today. I never want to go back to chronic, daily, debilitating pain. I know I can’t control everything that happens in my body, but I want to faithfully take care of what I can control.

I don’t want to do things that might make my life harder in the future. I want to make choices that my future self will thank me for. I’m learning that I don’t have to feel motivated to make a good decision. Sometimes I can acknowledge how I feel and still choose what I know is best for me.

My feelings get a voice, but they don’t always get the final vote.

Learning to do the uncomfortable things helps us to grow. There are things we learn in hardship that comfort could never teach us. 

When things become hard, we can use the hardship as an excuse to quit. Or we can use it as an opportunity to pray. God can strengthen us. He can help us with the things we struggle with. When we bring our hardships to God, He can help us endure them and overcome them. 

But if we quit the moment it gets hard, we will train ourselves to quit amid hardships. There is wisdom in knowing when our bodies genuinely need rest. But there are also moments when we aren’t being asked to rest—we’re simply being asked to move through discomfort. I’m learning to know the difference.

When I was sick and fighting my way back to good health, I ran hills. I always wanted to quit right before I reached the top. But I wouldn’t let myself stop. With each one, I got stronger not only in my body but in my mind. 

Every time I reached the top, it gave me another piece of evidence:

I can be uncomfortable and keep going.

I can feel tired and keep going.

I can want to quit and keep going.

I can reach the end of my strength, ask God for help, and take another step.

I’ve learned that a lot of it comes down to mindset. When I decide to do something, the enemy can’t really stop me because I will pray through the discomfort and keep going. 

So I am going this morning, sweet friend. Not because I want to, but because I know that I need to. 

Sometimes overcoming doesn’t feel powerful. Sometimes it looks like getting out of bed, asking God for strength, and doing the thing you don’t feel like doing.