Why Trying Harder Isn’t Helping Your Faith

This week at CrossFit, it’s 1-rep max week for back squat, shoulder press, and deadlift. For many athletes at our gym, this is just another set of workouts. Others, like me, have been counting down the days.

No matter where someone falls on the spectrum, 1-rep max week is a regular part of what we do. It reveals the progress we’ve made over the past 12 weeks and shows us where we currently stand. Since much of our training is based on percentages of our max lifts, this week helps set the direction for the next cycle.

After back squat day, a few of us were talking about how things went, our generic strategies, and lift mechanics. In the middle of the conversation, one of the top athletes in our gym said something that stuck with me:

“The days of me coming in and trying to bust out the heaviest lifts are behind me.”

(Something like that anyway...)

He wasn’t saying he’s given up or stopped caring — not at all. If anything, he’s learned something deeper about training, longevity, and what really matters.

But it got me thinking about how often we talk about “trying” in our walk with Jesus.

In Galatians 6:9, Paul writes, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Paul is writing to a group of believers navigating what it means to follow Jesus together. He reminds them that their actions matter — not as a way to earn God’s favor, but as a reflection of a life shaped by Him. He talks about restoring others gently, carrying one another’s burdens, examining our own hearts, and living with integrity.

But notice what he also acknowledges: we can grow weary.

Doing good: loving people, serving faithfully, walking with Jesus can feel exhausting at times. And in those moments, our instinct is often to try harder. Push more. Do more. Be more.

But what if the answer isn’t trying harder… but coming closer?

This isn’t a contradiction of Paul’s words. It’s the foundation beneath them. Jesus invites us not just to work for Him, but to abide in Him. He doesn’t call us to strive for His approval, but to live from it. He offers Himself as rest for weary souls.

And if we’re honest, life gives us plenty of reasons to feel worn out. Schedules fill up quickly: work, school events, church activities, family commitments, practices, and everything in between. It’s constant.

I feel that too. Not just as a pastor, but as someone who still wrestles with the temptation to do everything in my own strength.

So here’s the question I’ve been asking myself:

What will I spend my energy on this week? Trying to do everything, or choosing to abide in Jesus?

Maybe instead of pushing harder to get God’s attention, we simply rest in what’s already true: He sees us. He loves us. He is faithful.

So we come close. We seek Him. We rest in Him.

And from that place, we find the strength to keep going.

Anyway, I was just thinking...

P.S. For fun...If you are wondering, yes, that is me! And that was my failed attempt at 425lb. I was succesful at 405lb.