Embracing the Suck: Motivation vs. Discipline

Show Notes:

Is your faith giving you a free pass from hardship, or is it giving you the grit to push through it? This week, we are talking about the military concept of "Embracing the Suck"—accepting miserable circumstances and choosing to complete the mission anyway.In This Episode:

• The Reality Check: Why modern culture expects an easy life, and how to change your mindset when trials inevitably hit (James 1).
• Motivation vs. Discipline: Why motivation is just an emotion that fades, and why true discipline is the vital follow-through you need.
• The "Gasser" Sprint: How surviving a brutal season is exactly like running exhausting sprints at the end of football practice—you just have to take it one bite at a time.
• The Challenge: We challenge you to join our "No Complain Zone" this week. Stop wasting energy on the negative and start focusing on the next right step.

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about our mission and grab some gear at [Link to Mission Sent website/store]
• Have a question or a topic you want us to cover? Drop us a line at [Email Address]
• If this episode helped you, text the link to one person who needs to hear it today!

https://www.missionsent.org/

Transcript

Life Is Not Perfect

Josh 0:00

I don't know why we have this idea that our lives are just always gonna be perfect.

SPEAKER_02 0:07

Right.

Josh 0:08

Most people, I think, if you were to talk to 'em, do not have a perfect life. No. Sometimes, like, and and I think if you're honest with yourself, you would actually agree, sometimes your life sucks.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

You're listening to practically Christian podcasts, taking all that information you got, all in your brain, and giving you real practical application.

Josh 0:41

Well, welcome to another episode of Practically Christian Podcast, taking all of that information you got all up in your brain and giving you real practical application, and that is what we are talking about today. Embracing the suck. Remember when you sent it to me, I was like, oh, okay. So for the most part, embracing the suck is a military term. And and what it what it means is is you're gonna have times where you're gonna be tired and hungry and wet and muddy and just but you still have to get the mission completed. Right. And so you convince yourself to just embrace the suck. Just embrace the fact that this is going to suck, and it's gonna suck for a second. But eventually it's going to be over with.

SPEAKER_02 1:33

Right.

Dig Deep When You Are Tired

Josh 1:34

There's another saying, you know, I can do anything for an hour. And if I look at it that way, where you know, sometimes you may even I can do anything for 60 seconds. I was gonna say just one, just the next thing. Yeah, and we've had those conversations, we've told people that, told kids that just do the next thing. Right. You can't think about I know net tomorrow is too much right now. What are you doing next? And and that's really what this is. It's sitting here going, because again, I don't understand where we came to this idea that life, especially following after Jesus, life is just gonna be stress-free. Right. When in scripture he tells us we're gonna face trouble of many kinds. In John 15, like or 16, you know, that's what Jesus says. Like, in this world, you will have trouble. Not you might, not things might go wrong. We live in a sinful, broken world. Things are gonna happen. Full of just brokenness, and sometimes sometimes it's gonna just suck. And it's gonna suck for no reason. And then sometimes it's just for a minute. Sometimes you and I've seen it where it's been in our own life, where it was just like, I cannot do another month like this. I cannot do another year like this. Last year was too much, you know. I I really feel like every January we say that, or every December. Like towards the end of the year when we're like looking back over the year and it's like, no. No, not doing this again. And if you're listening to this, hold on, if you're listening to this, think about it. Yep, right? What seven? I think we've been doing this seven years now. Mm-hmm. Like, but five of those years was like if we got four episodes out that year, it would have been a huge deal. Because it was always there was always something going on. Yeah. And like even doing this episode now, like we're exhausted. Like, we are literally coming from a place of absolute embracing the suck, exhaustion, tired, drained out, going, All right, let's just do the next thing. Because we know sometimes it just sucks. Right. And and that's what I mean. Like that that's why I said, Yeah, I think it's every December we're like, no, we can't do it like that anymore. And I go, and that's where honestly you have to sit here and and be able to dig deep. And and I think that's something that's lost nowadays. Like I remember at the end of every football practice, okay, you had what what were called gassers. And they're called different things in different sports, but but really what they are is sprints. Okay, now this is at the end of a two, two and a half hour practice here in Florida while you're wearing all your football gear. So even if it's, you know, 95 degrees out, right? You're still sitting inside all your gear. Right. And you've just spent, you know, two hours, hour and a half, however, I don't even remember how long it was. It's been many moons. Just like running and tackling and doing all of the things just over and over and over and over. And then you get done with practice and they go, okay, everyone line up on the line. And then you have a hundred and fifty yard sprint. Right. That that you have to like do for for running backs, it was like under 40 seconds.

SPEAKER_04 4:51

Wow.

Motivation Versus Discipline

Josh 4:52

Okay, so so and we normally had, you know, like three to five, I can't remember, somewhere in there. Um and and I remember like every time going, like, why would you have well like why couldn't we start practice with this? Right. You know, while I'm fresh and ready to go. But I mean there was purpose behind it. Well, and that's what the coaches but that's what the coaches would always say, right? Games are won in the fourth quarter. Right. You know, games are are won when you're tired. Yep. When you have when you have that last push, that last, I'm gonna give it all I got. Yep. And and and it really comes down to like the famous theologian said, you know, Tim McGraw, um, how bad do you want it? Are you going to be willing to find that extra something that umph to push you through to the very end? Because sometimes it's not there. No, like that's where the term dig deep comes from. I mean, there are times that you and I have talked where I'm like, I literally, I can't keep doing this. I can't do this, or you can't do that. And there are times, you know, Josh has looked at me and been like, you have to. Like, there is no other choice. Like, you absolutely have to keep doing this. Right. Whatever it is. See, and that's the thing. There is no other choice. Right. And now that's not something we're born with. No, it's a choice. That is a choice. And that is something that is developed. Right. Like, even if you read through the book of James, in James chapter one, um, James writes this count it all a joy, my brothers, as you face trials of various kinds.

SPEAKER_02 6:26

Right.

Josh 6:26

All right. Now, most of us, most of us, when we go through a trial, we are not sitting here going, Oh, this is a joy. Right. Like, this is super fun. Like most of us. You're not going, I can't wait to see what I learned through this. Well, I don't even think most of us are sitting here thinking there's something to learn, right? Like most of us are just sitting here going, I'm sick of this. All right. But it says, again, we we count it all a joy, my brothers, as you face trials of various kinds. For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness and let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete and lacking in nothing. Right. And and so what James is really driving at there is is the same thing. Like it's producing grit. And and I don't think we as a society do that very well anymore. Right, right. I think we just got fat and lazy and and we live in a society. I mean, think about it. DoorDash, for instance. Oh my gosh. I think DoorDash is the stupidest thing in the world, right? Now I get a lot of people use it, and I I understand like food delivery is not something new.

SPEAKER_02 7:41

Sure.

Josh 7:42

When I was younger though, the only things you got delivered were like Chinese food and pizza. Pizza. Like that was it. The fact that you were paying someone ten dollars to drive a mile and a half away from your house, I go, to mean that's ridiculous. That's laziness. Like you're not gonna spend ten dollars to drive down the street to pick up your burger and come back home. Okay, playing playing both sides here. I'm not saying it doesn't have a purpose. I was saying that there are there are benefits to what you get. Keep trying to talk crap to me. No, I just I can barely hear myself. There's benefits to it, but I do think there are things, and we've talked about this, that yeah, I'll pay extra money for that. Right, but what I'm driving at, the bigger picture here, in the illustration that I was just giving, is we lack any tiny of grit and determination now. Right. And and and I'm just sitting here looking at it. That's what abracing the suck is about. I'm looking from the perspective of, oh, I'm not gonna get home in time, like we're gonna be busy, like we need to like that's where I'm coming from. But that's what I mean. Like I get like there's a time and a point. I get like technology is not a bad thing, right? The literal thousands of people that are listening to this episode right now are listening using technology.

SPEAKER_02 9:02

Right.

Break Big Problems Into Steps

Josh 9:03

What I need them to do is start sharing on their technology. And I go, seriously, if you're getting value out of this, tell people. Like, you know, but I'm sitting here going, like, we have lost the ability to have any kind of grit in determination. Even we've talked to Because we think that we're owed something. Yes, and we've talked to kids, like, even at school, we've talked to the kids about that. I remember talking to them about grit, going, hey, do you know what it is to dig to have grit. I was in the house of grit. Yes, but no, like some like kids aren't even learning that these days. Parents are struggling with it, and honestly, it was kind of funny. One of the kids said, Yes, I know what grit is, it's the my mom has it for breakfast sometimes. But I go, you gotta talk into the mic. I am. This is the best I could do. This is the mic, I'm telling you. You just had your mouth like this. Like the mic was behind your head. Like this? Yes.

unknown 9:59

Okay.

Josh 10:00

I'll try, I mean, try a lotto, girl. But I go, think about it. Marriage, for instance. We've been together, we've been together 25 years, right? We've been married 20. Hold on, two years. No, we'll be married 22 years this year. Been married 21 years. I was looking at him going, you get this. And it was June 5th. Like, I mean, come on now. Yes. Like, I I I'm good. My birthday. I'm not that guy that's like, I don't know. Like, come on, husbands. Remember when you got married. Dig deep. Yeah. But I sit here and go, Yes, we've been together more than half of my life. But it hasn't always been easy. Okay, why did you say how almost half of your life? Because it has been. It's been half my life. Nope. I 25 years is more than a year. Twenty-five times two is not your age. No, that's why I said. So more than half of my life. No. You can make yourself feel younger. You can make yourself feel younger on your own time. I sit here and go, it's not always easy though. No, God no. Okay, easy. It is pretty easy for you. I was talking about more so for me. It hasn't always been easy. Yikes. And you have to have that drive. You have to have that determination. You have to have another D-word, that discipline.

SPEAKER_02 11:20

Yep.

Josh 11:21

See, we want motivation, but we lack discipline.

SPEAKER_02 11:24

Right.

Josh 11:25

And the difference between the two are staggering. You want number one, motivation is an emotion. It's something you feel. Right. Right? Where discipline is a choice you make. I think of discipline, mo motivation, and discipline is the follow-through of the motivation. When you're disciplined, you're going to follow through. Sure. But what more so what I was getting at is discipline is way more important than motivation because you're not always going to feel it. Like you're not always like even at work, right? We're we're not every day going, okay, today is going to be a great day. But what regardless of whether it's going to be a good day or not, I still have to be at work and I still have to do my job and I still have to like be disciplined to do No, you don't. I see you every morning. We ride in the same car. Today you fell asleep and woke up and thought you were at Publix while you were in the parking lot at work. I was disciplined to get here. It doesn't take discipline to go to ride in a passenger seat. I was exhausted. But what I'm saying, that's my whole point, though, is I'm sitting here going, discipline is what goes. I still have to. Right. Discipline is sitting here going, hey, I'm tired. Hey, this sucks. Hey, I'm gonna embrace this sucks. Right. And I'm gonna push through. And I go, and discipline is what we severely lack. A hundred percent. That's because we're talking about it. I ain't feeling it today. We were talking about youth sports yesterday. And God, I hate youth sports. It's just so like it's just everything is just so different. It's meh, I don't feel like it anymore.

SPEAKER_04 12:57

Right.

Pruning, Perspective, And Future Strength

Josh 12:58

And I'm not saying there isn't a place to go, this doesn't work anymore. Right. And this is unhealthy for me to do this. And I do think there's wisdom in going, uh, this is not the this is not beneficial for me, my family. I get that. But just giving up and or giving in or whatever to move on to the next thing because this isn't going your way. No, that's that's lack of discipline. Well, that's what I mean. Like when you would go on a ruck march, or you know, you're a long distance runner. Like you don't look at the place far off in the distance and go, that's where I have to go to. You're looking at the place like super close. Like when when I hate time runs. Always have, always will. I am not an endurance kind of guy, right? Like I I I've never had. What do you mean like you let you do sprints and short distances, right? Right, right. Like I'm a burst energy and then like not a marathon runner. Right. You know, I'm a cheetah, not a gazelle. Okay. And I go, like, when when you would sit here and look at a time run, like for me, what I would do is I wouldn't sit here and go, okay, it's four laps around the track. I would sit here and go, okay, I'm at the starting line, I'm just gonna make it to the edge of the bleachers. And then when I get to the edge of the bleachers, okay, I'm just gonna make it to where the field goal, uh, where the goalpost is. Okay, when I get there, okay, I'm just gonna make it to the edge of the other bleachers now. Okay, now I'm just gonna make it to the end of the bleachers. And and before you know it, you've done an entire lap.

SPEAKER_02 14:26

Right.

Josh 14:26

And then before you know it, you've done an entire mile. Because you're not sitting here going, okay, I gotta do all of this.

SPEAKER_02 14:33

Right.

Josh 14:33

You eat an elephant one bite at a time.

SPEAKER_04 14:35

Yep.

Josh 14:36

And that's what produces that that endurance because you sit here and you're not so completely overwhelmed, and all of a sudden it becomes doable. And when when it becomes doable, you do it. Even like working with kids that um have ADHD, like one of the things they teach you is to break things apart for them. Big tasks can overwhelm them. So you go, okay.

SPEAKER_00 15:03

What about adults?

Josh 15:04

So you have well well, right, but I mean, I don't work with adults, I work with kids. Um I mean I work with you. But and and honestly, no, even no, you're right, even working with adults, okay. This is overwhelming. Do what do this and then do that. So there's this um um first what was it? If if then when then. So if you do this, then this, then you do this. When you do this, then you do that. Um because giving ever someone the whole task may be too much for them. That's why you cut an elephant, like you said, one piece at a time. Well you bite elephant, you bite an elephant one bite at a time. And I go, and that's that's the biggest thing. Like it's a being realistic, changing your mindset. Romans 12, 2, right? Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Right. Okay, first you gotta change your mindset. It isn't always gonna go your way.

SPEAKER_02 15:56

Right.

Josh 15:57

Sometimes it's gonna suck. Sometimes you're gonna be behind. Sometimes, you know, like you're losing in the fourth quarter. Like, sometimes that's what's going to happen. Right. You're gonna have problems in your marriage, your your kids are gonna drive you insane, work is gonna give you bad days. Like, I don't even care if I fished every day. There would be days that it's like you came home frustrated. Even even the the limited fishing I've been able to do lately, right? Right. Even the limited fishing I've been able to do lately, it just shows you the same thing, right? It it's sitting here going, you know, hey, I've come home and been like, today sucked. Right. Where I was expecting this, yay, so exciting. You know, I I I spent all day out there, I fished all these different spots, I caught one fish, or you know got rained on, the inflatable started deflating. You were fighting for your life. And I go, and and and that's what I mean. Like sometimes it's gonna go that way. Right, and you don't just give up, you go, all right, the next time I'll do this. Right. And then the bad time, what you're going through now. We found that like everything we've been through, we've been through a lot in our time together. You know, and everything we went through 10, 15 years ago actually helped us with things that have happened now.

SPEAKER_00 17:17

So that's the big part.

Josh 17:19

I I do go, I look at it and I go, sometimes we're going through the suck, embracing it because God's preparing you and getting you ready, and not always for something grand, it might be, but just for future, and you know, so we deal with this next situation better because we learned from the first one. And I mean, we've looked back at stuff, and I know you've said to me, Oh, okay, this makes sense. We had we not gone through that, we wouldn't be able to go through this. Right. And and that's really what I was getting at, right? I I just preached this this past Sunday. Pruning hurts. You're literally cutting things from the vine. Right. When when Jesus is pruning us, it can hurt and it can suck. Yep. And and you could be losing things that you didn't want to lose, but again, if you really look at your life and understand everything in that life led you to one specific point. Right. Like you are where you are because of every single cho like choice and decision that you've made, all of us. So the big thing is is when you embrace the suck, you can sit here and go, I can make different choices.

SPEAKER_02 18:34

Right.

Josh 18:35

When you embrace the suck, you could sit here and go, Yeah, this sucks right now, but I know it's only right now. When you embrace the suck, you can sit here and go, it isn't gonna be like this forever. Right. There's a country song, it won't be like this for long. Wait a minute. Oh, is that who's saying it? Yes, but his name's not Darius Rucker. Darius Rucker, yep. I was like, it's not Hootie. He gets mad at that, I heard. I don't know him personally, so I don't know why I said he gets mad. But like, yeah, it's sitting here and it's holding on to the good times to get you through the bad times. Right. And it's sitting here going, listen, my brother, okay? And oh boy. We don't we don't shoot it out a lot. In fact, this may be the first quote I've ever given from my brother on this podcast. Now that I think about it, but he had the greatest outlook on on homelessness one day. We're driving around, there's a guy, you know, asking for money. And I had said something about, you know, it would suck to be homeless or something like that. Little did I know we would eventually be homeless. Okay. But I made the mistake of saying that.

SPEAKER_02 19:52

Yep.

Ask For Help And Stop Complaining

Josh 19:53

And he looked at me and he was like, dude, think about it though. Because I was like, you know, I was like, man, like getting down, right? Like I was like, dude, like, you know, what do you do? How do you even better, like, you know, like to me, this is worst case scenario. And he's like, think about it though, man. You could borrow a dollar from someone, walk inside of a convenience store, buy a lot of ticket, and win a million dollars and change your whole life. Yep. In a blink of an eye. Yep. And I went, that is a very good way to look at this. And that actually stuck with me for yeah, I mean, obviously, I just used the quote. Right. You know, this is probably 20 years ago. Yep. And I go, because that is what life can do. Right. If you're going through it right now, God, there's another country song in my life. Rodney Atkins. If you're going through hell, keep on going. Don't slow it down. I was like, if you're tired, don't show it. You might even get out before the devil even knows you're there. I was so in my head going, shh, am I allowed to say that on this podcast? But see, that's my point. Like what you put in matters. Yeah. Because it's gonna come back out. Yeah, that's funny. And and and that's really where we're going. It's sitting here going, like, embrace the suck. Because sometimes like God is forging, sometimes God's removing sometimes He's pruning, He's pruning, sometimes it's it's sometimes it's our own dumb fault. And you know what? We've talked about this before. Sometimes you're going through something and it has nothing to do with you. You get stuck in your head that I'm struggling, I'm going through this, poor me, sad me, blah, blah, blah. But what you don't realize is God's allowing you to go through that for someone else to look and go, Oh, if they did it, I can do it. Well, that's the case. God look I got I got some requests. Jesus. If they ain't got it by now, God, please stop punishing me for it. Like they're not gonna get it, Jesus. In Jesus' name I pray. They are pretty stupid, and I don't want their intellect to burden. Me anymore. And I go, but that's the thing. Yeah, embrace it. Sometimes it sucks. And you're tired and worn down. And if you're tired and worn down, rest. Reach out to someone. And rest. Yes. Go, hey, can we go fishing? Can you just take me out of the water? Can we go get some coffee? Yes. Something. Because I go, that may be what you need to learn to do right now is swallow your pride. Yeah. Ask for help. Yeah. And I go, and and and stop looking for what it is. I remember like I used to pray because life used to suck so bad. Really bad. And and I used to sit there and pray and go, Oh God, whatever it is that I need to learn in this moment, please teach me, and then move us from this moment. And as much as I wish, like I could follow that up with, and God went, Okay, here's your lesson. And the next day everything was different. That's not how it worked. Woke up the next day going, Oh, we're doing this again, huh? Yep. Yep. So this week, as you go about your week, the challenge is simple. Let's do the no complain zone. Let's do that. Embrace the suck. Stop complaining. Because what you're giving your attention to matters. Alright. And if you're sitting here going, this sucks, this sucks, this sucks, this sucks, this sucks, you are just going to become more miserable. And guess what? Your situation ain't changing anyway. So, really, what are you gaining? Right. Nothing. When you embrace the suck and you go, Yeah, this sucks. It's not gonna be like this for long. I'm gonna put my head down, I'm gonna look three feet in front of me. I'm gonna pick a goal to get to that's close enough, and before you know it, I'm gonna be a mile away from this. Guess what? You just turned it all around. Yep. And that's what grit and determination is. It's sitting here going, hey, you know what? This sucks right now, but as long as I keep moving. It won't be like this for long. If you're going through hell, keep on moving. Keep on moving. You know, a dream is like a river, ever changing as it flows. Stop it, you're gonna get in trouble. The dreamer's just a vessel that must follow where it goes. I go, how many songs do you want to do this with? We're good. How bad do you want it? Wrap it up. A country boy can survive. Like, how did I not even think of that one? Wow. Preacher Man says it's the end of times in the Mississippi River. She's going dry. Embrace it.

unknown 24:19

Okay.

Bonus Episode And Where To Follow

Josh 24:20

Because a country boy can survive. Look, all he has in that song, all he has is a shotgun, a rifle, and a four-wheel drive. And a country boy can survive. I live back in the woods, you see. My woman, my kids, the dogs, and me. I got a shotgun, a rifle, and a four-wheel drive, and a country boy can't survive. Wow. Embrace it. Yep. Embrace the suck. Stop complaining. Put your head down. You need help. Reach out. Ask for help. Yep. Stop it. Get some help. So until I think we're actually gonna have a bonus episode this month. Oh, that's nice. Because this month has five weeks in it. Um, so it's not just the first and third Monday. There'll be a fifth Monday, right? So be on the lookout for that. As always, you can follow us on Facebook, is where we are most active. I'm told there is an Instagram account too, but there is an Instagram. Just follow us at mission sent. All right. And until then, we love you, and we can't do this without you. Bye, guys.