Are You Buff, Toned, and Muscle-Bound?

Me?  No!  My grandsons?  Oh. My. Soul.  They are muscular hunks.  The oldest is a body builder and competes at an extreme level.  And the youngest two spend one to two hours a day in the gym.  They are athletes and working out is a regimen that gives them confidence and super athletic abilities. And they eat what’s good for them. In fact, I just got through making Brennan His “standard” breakfast comprised of: 5 eggs with extra egg whites, package of roasted chicken rice, two toasts with peanut butter and jelly, grapes and a protein shake.

I hope you’re still reading after that question “Are you buff, toned and muscle-bound?”, because, quite frankly, most of us aren’t.  But I’m not asking the question about our bodies.  I’m asking about our “faith muscles”. I’ve learned many lessons in God’s gym. My faith muscles have had a good work-out and some days I can lift some heavy stuff. We go to that gym because we know we need to stay fit when it comes to our faith and determination to keep on keeping on.

Faith is very much like a muscle. The more we use our faith muscles and exercise them, the more they grow. And the more we grow, the more we can lift.  Others will even notice our faith muscles.  Someone who is a man or woman of faith is not merely gifted with it, their faith has become noticeably larger because it has been worked out over time until it can be seen without even flexing!

When I ask God to “increase my faith”, He provides me with increased opportunities to grow muscles. YIKES!!  Not the most pleasurable experiences – working out often hurts!   Some of those workout routines may look like an illness that we or a loved one is facing, a job loss, a difficult relationship, trials or testing struggles.  I can hear the Fitness Coach giving oversight to their student: “Give me ten more!  Give me five more!”  That fitness coach is building up those muscles!  And God, our Faith Fitness Coach uses each workout routine to give us the opportunity to depend on Him more, to trust Him for every breath we take, to spend more time in prayer with Him, and to get as close as we can to Him.

Once we get spiritually fit, the issues that once plagued us (i.e., fear, despair, worry, unbelief, hopelessness, concern) seem to have little effect on our strong belief and trust in God.  This blog was inspired by a dear friend who has had some major physical issues.  This woman’s faith muscles are so developed that despite the symptoms and through the greatest tests, she still proclaims “Nothing is impossible with God”.  She won’t even let anyone question her “faith muscle” stance.

What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger. So many faith-muscle-bound people encourage us. I’ve got several of those “trainers” in my life. Perhaps, you need to start with the best muscle strengthening program available. Here are some of the “training manual’s” tips:

~ Hebrews 11:1 —  “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
~ 1 Corinthians 16:13 —  “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”
~ 2 Timothy 4:7 —  “I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
~ Mark 9:23 —  “Jesus said to him, ‘Can you believe? All things are possible for one who believes.”
~ Matthew 21:22 – “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.
~ Philippians 4:13 — “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”