One morning, as I pulled out of the garage to go to the gym, it started sprinkling. About halfway there, it was raining steadily. I still went. While I was walking on the treadmill, I noticed people standing just outside the door because it was pouring. The downpour didn’t last long. The rain had stopped by the time I finished my walk.

Darren Hardy, in his book The Compound Effect, wrote, “Commitment is doing the thing you said you were going to do long after the mood you said it in has left you.”

I could have pulled right back into the garage and said, “Nope, not today.” I could have turned around and gone home when the rain picked up, saying, “It’s not worth it.”

I chose to honor my commitment to myself. As I walk on the treadmill, I imagine walking away from things that hinder me and walking toward things that encourage me. I may not physically go anywhere in my 20–30 minute walk, but I’m moving forward in other ways.

Now that colder weather is arriving, I know I’ll have more opportunities to talk myself out of going. It’s one thing to leave the house when the weather is pleasant. It’s another to bundle up, drive to the gym, take off the extra layers, find somewhere to put everything, and then reverse the process when I’m finished. Sometimes getting ready feels like more work than the workout itself!

Of course, inconvenience and danger are two different obstacles. I’m not going to drive on icy roads to prove my level of commitment. Some situations genuinely require a change of plans, but other times we’re simply looking for a convenient excuse.

This isn’t just about going to the gym or creating healthy habits. As we approach the end of the year, schedules fill up, routines change, and good intentions can easily get pushed aside. We make commitments to ourselves, to other people, and to God. Some are important responsibilities, while others are goals we’ve chosen because we know they’ll help us grow.

Hebrews 12:1 encourages us to lay aside the things that hinder us and run with endurance the race set before us. The passage isn’t about physical exercise, but the picture of endurance is one I can appreciate while walking on a treadmill.

Paul uses a similar picture in Philippians 3:13–14, describing his determination to forget what lies behind, strain toward what lies ahead, and press on toward the goal. His focus wasn’t on personal accomplishments but on the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus. He recognized that he hadn’t already reached the goal, but he wasn’t going to stop pursuing it.

Commitment doesn’t mean every day will look the same or that we never need to adjust our plans. It means remembering why we started and continuing to make choices that move us in the right direction, even when our enthusiasm fades. Even when I don’t feel like going, I’m usually glad I went.

The treadmill may not take me anywhere geographically, but every step is an opportunity to leave something behind and move toward something better. The same is true of our spiritual growth. We haven’t reached the goal, but we can keep pressing forward.

Every step counts.

I created a memory verse packet around Philippians 3:14, containing activity pages for the whole family to learn together. Download the free packet.