Spiritual Muscles

Spiritual Muscles
by Becky Dietz

Have you ever thought about how committed God is to making you strong?   As your father, he allows hard things in your life intentionally.  It isn’t to harm you.  Instead, it’s to build your spiritual muscles.  He is a good, good father and he stands ready to catch you at any point.  But as a good father, he knows that if your life is perfect, you’d probably never turn to him for help (or intimacy) and you would fall apart at the slightest problem.  

Romans 5:3-4 says, “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”  Tribulation or trials or problems are the way we get to perseverance.  Perseverance means to endure, to have tenacity, backbone, dedication, steadfastness.  And those things produce character.  God delights in good character—having a good name is to be chosen over riches!   You’ve become purposeful and intent—and manage your life well—when you have character.  Character delivers hope.  You have hope because you’ve overcome!   Because you’ve endured and persevered, you know the steadfastness and faithfulness of your good, good father.  You know he won’t leave you.  As you press in to him during those trials, he presses in to strengthen your spiritual muscles!   His whole goal is to strengthen you through the process and for you to intimately know his good character.   

It’s our nature to strive and chafe when persecutions, trials, or tribulations come.  But remember you have a father who is intentional in building your spiritual muscles.  And he allows exercises to strengthen you.  Embrace him.  Turn to him.  He’ll help you if you ask.  He’s a good, good father who wants nothing more than to fill your heart with hope!  His plan is very good.