Hold OnSample

HOW STRONG ARE YOU? There is a verse in the Bible that talks about the blessings and consequences of what we do with the gifts and talents God has entrusted us with. I believe it’s also an excellent example of how He designed our bodies to work as well. “For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.” Matthew 25:29 At first glance, this verse seems unfair, but let’s think about it from a different perspective. How physically strong are you? Let’s say you can only do two push-ups with the strength you currently have. If you want to improve, you will have to practice this exercise and endure shaking arms and sore muscles in order to increase your strength. The more diligent you are at doing your daily push-ups, the stronger you will become and the more your reps will increase. In other words, you will be given more based on what you did with what you had. The opposite is true if you choose not to work out. Muscles atrophy when they’re neglected and the strength you began with will only decrease as your muscles shrink. The lesson “use it or lose it” is true for us not only physically, but also spiritually. Being broken allows us to be remade into a better version of ourselves because growth happens on the other side of discomfort. Like little kids who want to be held by their parents when they are hurting, our pain motivates us to seek out the comforting embrace of our Heavenly Father. When we surrender our hurt to Him, He takes our broken hearts and overcompensates by enlarging them—to protect us from future stress and also to empower us to help others. Hearts that have been healed by God produce beautiful fruit the world needs: compassion, patience, grace, humility, endurance, and a desire to comfort others the way God comforted us. If you want to mature, grow, and be used by God, then don’t be satisfied with always being comfortable.