Ephesians 3:14-19
My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
When I was in my twenties, I was a runner. I competed in 5k races and ran three to six miles nearly every day. I still remember the first time I finished five miles. My brother-in-law, who was running marathons at the time, told me that “If you can run three miles, you can run five.” In other words, I could push myself and do more… and I did. I was my own worst enemy... limiting my potential with fear, complacency, and a lack of focus. I ultimately gave up running for several reasons – including the number it did on my knees! Over the years, I satisfied myself with other exercises… primarily walking. There is nothing wrong with walking for exercise, but it doesn’t do much to build muscle strength – especially in the upper body. By limiting myself, I failed to maintain adequate physical strength, and made myself vulnerable to illness, fatigue, and more.
Not quite 18 months ago, I started a weight-lifting program, combined with workouts to strengthen my “inner core” and cardio training. Today, I feel physically stronger than I have ever felt in my adult life. In the last few years, I have also worked on my “inner strength.” I won’t say I came to this willingly, but God has allowed my faith to be tested in ways I could never have envisioned… and He has strengthened me by His Spirit. I have to tell you… if I had to choose between physical strength and “inner strength,” I would choose the latter every time.
As I grow physically stronger, I’ve learned a lot about my body and what it is capable of sustaining. I’ve discovered that I can do a lot of things I never dreamed possible… that I am often limited only by my own fears and lack of focus. And it’s exactly like that with my “heart,” as well. There are times when I begin to falter… to wonder if I can really do this… to question how I will handle challenges or endure struggles. This is when I need to plant both feet firmly, to reach out and experience the breadth of Christ’s love! I need to fully test the lengths… to plumb the depths and rise to the heights! I need to a full life - full in the fullness of God!
Truly, the dimensions of Christ’s love for me exceed anything I can ever imagine. The limits are all my doing. I need to maintain focus, to keep “working out” with Him each and every day. We all need to realize that exercising our heart muscle includes much more than a 20-minute workout routine with some cardio and a couple of hand weights. We have to strengthen the Spiritual heart muscle as well… through prayer, Bible study, exercising our faith when tests come along, and more.
My question for you today is this… how fit are you - physically AND Spiritually? Have you allowed your faith and strength to be limited by outside influences and your own fears and lack of focus? The devil is so pleased when we become complacent. He will fill us with a million reasons to skip our “workouts.” Do not listen! Never give up! Open the door… invite Jesus into your heart and do all you can to keep Him there! Exercise and build your glorious inner strength first. See how strong God makes you in all areas of life as a result.
©2012 Debbie Robus
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