It was grueling, painstaking work, but the future use of my arm depended on what I could accomplish in this gym. After extensive rotator cuff surgery and weeks of enduring immobilization in a sling, muscular atrophy had sapped all the strength from that injured arm. Toning and rebuilding those sleeping muscles would be painfully slow, requiring sheer determination and tons of encouragement. Gradually, under the watchful eye of my dedicated physical trainer (who I’m sure, in a former life, was either a marine…or a stormtrooper!), the weight was increased on those dreaded exercise/torture machines. After months of consistently working through the pain, I reaped the fruit of that labor, the joy of watching those biceps grow in strength and stamina, restoring that once painful shoulder to usefulness again.
As important as it was for me to enhance and rebuild my physical muscles, it is more urgent for me that I tone my spiritual muscles. A course of action, a game plan, managed by my personal trainer (the Holy Spirit) is essential as I sharpen my spiritual strength. But what exercises will help; how does one undertake spiritual training?
One workout involves exercising obedience, submission to the authority of God and His Work in our lives. The more aligned we are with the commands of God recorded in His Word, the stronger we become. God encourages us to “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” A workout in knowledge also breeds strength, for “Wise men lay up knowledge.” Work to know God, to share in His wisdom, to grasp the depths of His holiness, and to understand our place in His will. Make consistent Bible study part of our daily regimen, finding a time and place to dig deeply into Scripture, allowing God to speak through His Spirit as we “Study to shew” ourselves “approved unto God.” And when times of adversity pop up in our lives, and they will, practicing on the treadmill of faith will strengthen us spiritually as we learn to trust His goodness and providence while we “glory in tribulations.”
But the best workout action involves communication with our Power Source, seeking the face of God, praying “without ceasing.” A praying saint is a growing saint. Our desire is to be “strong in the Lord,” not only for our own personal benefit, but also to make us more of an asset to those around us, more in shape to be used by the Father to further the cause of Christ. If I could exert so much dedication to strengthening an injured arm, I should surely see the urgency of growing strong spiritually. When God calls on me for His service, I want to be “meet for the master’s use.” So join me as I put on those training sneakers and grow in grace! What are YOUR workout plans for today?
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Keep me faithful in my workout, Lord. Use obedience, knowledge, Bible study, faith, and prayer to help grow me spiritually. Keep me always striving to be a stronger, more fit, child of God.