Many argue that Muhammad Ali was the greatest heavyweight boxing champion ever. I remember as a young man watching him train for his bouts. It was brutal. He needed to go through such ordeals because of the beatings he took in the ring. But I still wondered how he endured such suffering.

Once, in speaking about preparing for his fights, he commented: “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’”

Even though he was a controversial figure in his younger days, for many of his latter years he was well-respected by most Americans. Even those who did not like his stance on social issues acknowledged his greatness as a boxer. He obtained his goal. He was a champion and was able to live the rest of his life that way.

Ali made an obvious point. He suffered during training because he saw a reward at the end of the tunnel. It was all worth it.

The author of Hebrews also discusses training, suffering, and rewards. His readers faced the prospect of suffering. He compares it to training for an athletic event (Heb 12:1-7).

To encourage them, the author gives examples of others who underwent that “training.” He says they were tortured and did not accept their deliverance. They didn’t quit. Others were mocked, scourged, and thrown into prison for their faith. Some were executed by stoning and other methods. Still more were forced to wear ragged clothes, be destitute, and live in inhospitable places (Heb 11:35-38).

As bad as Ali’s training was, the training these people underwent was worse. Their suffering was worse. The author was well-aware that the suffering involved in their training was not enjoyable. He says, “No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful” (Heb 12:11). This is similar to what Ali said about his training.

But just as with Ali, there was a reward for those who underwent the training and suffering the author describes. God had promised them a great reward (Heb 10:35; 11:39). It would be a reward infinitely greater than the one Ali obtained. They, too, would become champions, but a different and better kind.

The reward the author has in mind is the honor of reigning with Christ in His kingdom (2 Tim 2:12). All believers will live in the Lord’s eternal kingdom, but those who suffer for Him will reign in it with Him. Over the course of forty years, Ali was honored in various ways because he was a world boxing champion. These people will be honored for all eternity as heroes of the faith. Everyone in the kingdom will acknowledge them as champions. More importantly, the Lord will acknowledge them as such.

I’m sure that when Ali looked back on his life in his later years, he concluded that the years of training and pain were worth it. He became a wealthy man and was internationally known. For years, he was the most recognized athlete in the world.

But all of that was temporary. He died in 2016, and all that honor died with him.

Those who endure the training the Lord puts them through will not suffer that fate. Their reward will be eternal. They will be able to say the same thing Ali did, but with a change at the end: “Suffer now, and live the rest of eternity as a champion.”