Exercising Our Spiritual Muscles

I have been going to Physical Therapy due to the back surgery I had in June. I was down for six weeks before the surgery. Then it was another three months after surgery before they allowed me to start therapy. I did a lot of walking on my own around my home outside with a walker for several weeks. As I got stronger I was able to put that walker aside and use my cane. It wasn't long after that, and I was able to put that cane aside, and I was walking on my own. After my strength was built up, and was more stable on my feet,  I started walking on the treadmill. You see, the doctors said I would be down for 4 to 6 months. I was determined to get stronger faster than they said. So I took it upon myself to just simply walk daily. Even if it was slowly! But I walked and I got stronger and stronger every day. The Neurosurgeon was amazed at how fast I was improving. I was doing things at 2 months that he didn't expect from me until 4 months.

When I started Physical Therapy I was shocked when they told me that my back muscles were like mash, reduced to pulp, fleshy tissue. Due to the fact that I have had several fusions, I'm not allowed to bend or do any lifting at this time, so all my exercising and strengthening of my back muscles have to come from exercising my legs and abdomen. Believe it or not, after working out these muscles, I do feel it in my back. All the leg stretches, lifts, presses and so on, actually targets my back muscles as well. I feel great after a workout. I find it is much easier to start my day off with my leg stretches before getting out of bed. It works out the aches and pains and I can move much easier. Then if I hit the treadmill first thing after I wash my face and brush my teeth, I'm sure to have a much better day. But if I don't exercise on any given day, I always feel sluggish and ache all over. I don't want to move because it just hurts to much. All day I have aches and pains and I'm a miserable person.

I was thinking about this and it is no different in our spiritual life. If we don't exercise daily by Praying, our spiritual muscles will turn to mash, be reduced to pulp. We will become sluggish in our walk with Him. Our spirit will begin to ache and we won't want to move and we will become miserable people. We won't have the strength to stand against the fiery darts that come against us. We won't have the power or strength to fight off temptations, worldly lust and desires when they come our way. Our attitudes will not be Godly attitudes. We become impatient, hateful, short tempered, lustful, easily offended, lackadaisical, unthankful, unholy, disrespectful, etc. That's why Paul said in 1st Corinthians 15:31; "I die daily", meaning through prayer, he dies out to his flesh, his will and desires and gives way to the will of God. He is strengthening his spiritual muscles so that when things come against him he will have the strength to stand and not fall to temptation.

Reading the Word of God is another way to exercise our spiritual muscles. David said in Psalm 119:11 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." When we read the Word of God, we are growing strong in Him. When sin and temptation comes against us, we can use the Word that we have hid in our heart to fight off that temptation. Through the Word of God and Prayer we have built up the strength that we need to fight a good fight. Ephesians 6:10-17 reads "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

As much as we need to exercise daily physically, we also need to exercise daily spiritually. I was determined to grow stronger physically so that I could stand and walk on my own without the assistance of a walker or cane. I'm determined to build my muscles up in my back as well. It will take a lot of hard work and exercise but I have to work at it to succeed. I'm just as determined to stand one day and say as Paul did in 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith."  I must die daily to do so.  I must exercise my spiritual muscles and keep them strong through prayer and the Word of God.