Spiritual Muscles

Spiritual muscles like physical muscles can only grow through pain.  Physical muscles grow when pushed beyond their capacity and actually break down.  They then rebuild stronger and bigger.  The same is true of spiritual muscles.  If we want to grow spiritually we must at times go through trials and circumstances that are painful or at least challenging.

As I have mentioned before in previous posts, I went through the challenges of caring for my first husband and losing him to death, now a little over twelve years ago.  I have gone through other deep challenges and trials as well since that day.  Yet I have grown through those experiences.  My love for the Lord and trust in Him has expanded greatly through these experiences.  New experiences as well, be they pleasant or difficut, mean leaving the old behind and moving forward to the new.  They involve a certain element of trust.  They involve stretching one's spiritual muscles.

In The One Year Book of Hope by Nancy Guthrie says this:  "I don't want my greatest spiritual adventures to be all behind me!  I want to keep going, keep growing.  I want to know Him better and love Him better and love Him more next year than I do today.  I want to be like Him and do more for Him.  So I got to keep building my spiritual muscles."

Whether you are caring for a loved one who is ill or have recently lost such a loved one, whether a family member is going through very difficult times, whether there is a host of other difficult circumstances in your life, or whether you are just starting an exciting new adventure in your life; trust God to see your through it all. Trust that God will stretch your spiritual muscles, and be willing to let Him do so in your life.  It will not only increase your strength in this life, but  it will also reap benefits in Eternity!