As I enter a new decade of life, I’ve decided to add strength training to my exercise routine. Yes, I’m incorporating weights into the mix. Exercise gurus claim that strength training boosts mental resilience, enhances quality of life, and improves the ability to perform everyday activities, to name a few. I’ve observed so many benefits that it seems this one activity is almost a cure-all for physical problems. I will see how it goes for me!
Just as it is in the natural, so it is in the spiritual. The Bible speaks of a form of strength training. There exists a spiritual circuit of exercises and principles that cultivates spiritual strength in Christians.
Joy is Our Strength
One thing that stands out is joy. Nehemiah 8:10 states that “the joy of the Lord is your strength”. The context of Nehemiah 8 is that the wall of Jerusalem, which had been broken down by the invasion of the Babylonians, was finally rebuilt. However, it was also time to spiritually rebuild the Israelites, who had neglected the law of God through disobedience. Ezra called the people together for prayer and preaching. They worshipped the Lord as Ezra read the words of God’s law to them. They read with understanding (verse 8) and wept as they were convicted of what they had neglected for so long. The people were then reminded that they needed to obey the words of God’s law. This realization led to much weeping and mourning, which awareness of sin should naturally bring. However, Ezra encouraged the people that sorrow for sin shouldn’t become so overwhelming that it hinders them from experiencing joy in the Lord with cheerfulness as they serve Him. Obedience to God, coupled with repentance, will bring joy, which is the strength of Christians.
Just as lifting weights and engaging in other exercises reduce our likelihood of health problems, so too does this joy. It is like medicine. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: But a broken spirit drieth the bones.” Joy provides health and strength to the Christian believer.
Paul likens believers to soldiers in an army. Soldiers engage in battle. They must be strong both physically and mentally. He advises us in 2 Timothy 2:1 to be “strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” He knows and reminds us that God’s grace is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9). Because of this fact, Paul goes further to say, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong” (vs 10). Paul understood spiritual strength training, and we should too. As soldiers in God’s army, we must “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3). Paul had great faith, and because of it, he faced many trials and difficulties, just as we do.
Exercise Your Faith
However, the Bible also reminds us to “consider it joy” when we encounter various trials and temptations. Those trials build muscle. Faith is a muscle that must be exercised to grow strong and resilient. James 1:3 tells us that the testing of our faith produces patience, and this patience has a perfecting, maturing work that God desires for us (vs 4). The maturity of our faith reminds us that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Those of us who have been working to strengthen our faith in the power of God must believe that God is who He claims to be, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Do you believe this? How strong are your faith muscles today? Do you find joy as you wait for the answers to your prayers?
Today, lift the dumbbells of joy and faith as you pray and live life in these last days. Exercise these virtues daily in your life. Jesus truly gives us joy (John 15:11). We may weep, but joy does come in the morning (Psalm 30:5). Let us trust God to build our faith and joy as we wait on him.
Waiting can be challenging, but weight training in the natural realm can also be difficult. I may actually need a trainer to avoid injuring myself or giving up altogether on my journey! As Christians, we have a wonderful Helper. The Holy Spirit assists us in our daily lives and through our challenges. We just need to pray and ask for that help. I am reminded of a truth in the Scriptures when I feel weak and faint on my journey. Isaiah 41:28-31 says, “Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint: and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that await on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.”
Call to Action
Will you join me on this strength training journey? Jesus stands by our side as our loving coach and trainer in righteousness.
All scripture taken from the King James Version.
