Are You Ready to Hit the Gym?

“That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

II Corinthians 12:10

  

Suppose you and I came out of our mother’s womb looking like a world champion bodybuilder.

Now suppose as we got older we only got better.

Of course, that is not the case.

Getting, and keeping, the body of a champion takes long hours in the gym and concentrated effort.

For Paul, the world and all the tribulations, trials and sufferings it brought was his spiritual gym.

He had learned that through his weakness, Christ’s strength was manifested in his life.

The insults, hardships, persecutions and difficulties are what put muscle on his ‘spiritual bones’.

The life lived only and always comfortably is a weak life.

I am not advocating that you go out and search for problems.

Let your light shine, be a witness for Christ and there will come plenty of time at the ‘gym’.

As a matter of fact, Paul promised as much to Timothy when he wrote these words to his young co-laborer:

”In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life

in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,”

II Timothy 3:12

You might say that your “spiritual gym membership” is most evident when you have learned the secret of being in the world but not of the world!

Are you ready to hit the gym?