God's Optimal Health Plan for YouSample

Building Muscle Strength

Physical strength in God’s Word is often portrayed as a blessing, used for protection, service, and fulfilling divine purposes. Individuals like Samson (Judges 13–16) and David (1 Samuel 17) were given extraordinary physical strength to deliver Israel from its enemies and demonstrate God’s power. Strength, when coupled with obedience and humility, becomes a tool for advancing God's kingdom. It allows individuals to work diligently, defend the vulnerable, and persevere through trials. The Bible honors those who use their strength for righteous purposes, showing that physical ability can glorify God when used with wisdom and integrity.

Moreover, physical strength is seen as a complement to spiritual strength, not a substitute for it. While Scripture acknowledges the value of bodily training (1 Timothy 4:8), it emphasizes that strength must be rooted in dependence on God. For instance, Nehemiah encouraged the people with the words, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10 NIV), reminding us that true endurance comes from God’s presence. Strong individuals in the Bible often succeeded not just because of their might, but because they relied on the Lord. Thus, physical strength is a gift to be stewarded for service, leadership, and resilience in fulfilling God’s will.

A common dilemma as we mature is loss of muscle firmness and strength, and it is true that “you lose what you don’t use.” Muscle strength breakdown can result in a large negative issue since your body uses muscle to burn extra glucose you don’t need from eating more than you should. Poor metabolism of carbohydrates, especially refined grains and sugar depletes the body of zinc. Low zinc levels reduce insulin output, and your body needs fuel in the cells brought in by the insulin. Without energy from the carbohydrate mechanism, your body systems use protein taken from muscle. Over time, reducing muscle mass results in a catch-22 with more unused carbs continuing to metabolize to fat. We recommend reducing refined carbohydrates and start light to moderate muscle strengthening. Using handheld weights and elastic bands is a great way to begin.