Building spiritual muscle

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Building physical muscle hurts.  Muscles get sore and stiff.  They don't grow without effort, sweat, and pain.

Same holds true for spiritual muscles.  It hurts to grow up spiritually.  

Exercising faith in the direst of circumstances is hard.  Very hard.  It hurts.

Exercising faith when you see no results is even harder!  At least with physical muscles, you see the results!  But when you grow spiritual muscle, it is not always as perceptible.  

But we still have to keep on "flexing," doing "reps."  God increases the weight because He knows how much we can bear.

Sometimes, you feel like you're going to drop the "barbells" because you feel crushed under the weight of it all. 

You cry out, "Jesus!  Help!"

But sometimes, He doesn't lift the weight from you.  This, too, is hard.  Very hard.  

He. Wants. To. Strengthen. You.

Sure, it would be easier if He would just take the weight off already.

But then our muscle wouldn't get as strong as it possibly could.

To grow physical and spiritual muscle is painful.  No way around it.

Examples of spiritual muscle are:

Patience
Perseverance
Trusting God more
Not running ahead of God
Holding your tongue
Loving others no matter how they treat you
Dying to self
Lots of waiting on God (see #1 of this list)

So next time You ask God to help you grow up, be careful what you wish for.  Get ready for some pain!

Oh Lord.  I wish growing up spiritually didn't hurt so much.  But only You know how much I can truly bear, the weight of it all.  On days when I feel I can't "lift" another ounce, take the other end of the "barbell" and help me out, I pray!  Or help me hold on and become stronger!  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.


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