Strength through resistance

 

Photo: ctto gymshark

Santiago 1:3 Yamang nalalaman na ang pagsubok sa inyong pananampalataya ay gumagawa ng pagtitiis. 4 At inyong pabayaan na ang pagtitiis ay magkaroon ng sakdal na gawa, upang kayo'y maging sakdal at ganap, na walang anoman kakulangan.

Roma 5:3 At hindi lamang gayon, kundi naman nangagagalak tayo sa ating mga kapighatian na nalalamang ang kapighatian ay gumagawa ng katiyagaan.

Sino ba ang matinong taong araw-araw ay pinahihirapan ang kaniyang sarili? Marahil sasabihin ninyo nasisiraan ang taong ito ng bait. Bakit mo ipagpapalit ang comfort par sadyaing mahirapan? Unless you're a lifter (or any athlete for that matter). As a lifter nauunawaan mong ang mga intense sessions na halos mabali ang iyong mga buto at mapunit ang iyong mga muscles (I am exaggerating a bit) is what is helping you become stronger and comfort is actually your enemy. 

Araw-araw ang isang lifter ay nagt-train against resistance. Araw-araw winawasak niya ang kaniyang mga muscles (literally) upang turuan itong mag-accommodate at maging higit na malakas. 

You see, without resistance, without pain (the right one), your body has no reason to become stronger. 

When you lift heavy, powered by carbohydrates, the muscles undergo microtears, the bones undergo micro-fractures. Then when you eat, your body uses the nutrients (chiefly protein) to repair those muscles. The muscles become thicker and stronger so what once was difficult to lift becomes easier. The muscles accommodated. 

Then you do it again to become stronger and again and again. You're willing to subject yourself to tests because you don't want to be where you are now two or three years later. 

Why do most Christians think developing spiritual muscles and strength are different?

Why do we think becoming spiritually strong and developing spiritual muscles require comfort? 

The Word of God that we study every Sunday? They are the carbohydrates that fuel our soul when we undergo testing. Sabi ni James, ang bawat pagsubok na ating hinaharap ay dapat ikagalak dahil ang mga ito ay oportunidad upang lumakas spiritually. It helps develop character, develops endurance, develops maturity. 

Everytime we're broken by trials, the Word of God is the protein that rebuilds our spiritual muscle tissues and you become stronger. What once was an occasion for panic attack is now easy. You've become stronger. 

The Holy Spirit is your Coach/Spotter/Mentor in this spiritual training. We can't expect to grow stronger if we operate apart from Him. 

Without the Word of God to fuel our spiritual movements, we'll regress. Our spiritual muscles atrophy and die. We become insensitive to spiritual things and become zombies that check religious obligation boxes. Rituals without meaning. 

Without the testing under the mentorship of the Spirit, fueled by the Word of God, we'll never know what we're capable of spiritually. We'll always be weak and immature. 

The next time a problem comes along, it is our chance to once more call on our Divine Coach and starts lifting to become stronger. We'll be glad that we're not the same two or three years ago. 

Manatiling nakapokus sa biyaya. Huwag ninyong hayaang nakawin ng mga huwad na guro ang inyong karapatang mag-isip ng doktrina.

(Kung gusto ninyo ng karagdagang impormasyon, bisitahin ninyo kami. May pagtitipon kami sa Dahat, kada Linggo, kada 1:00-3:00 pm. Sana manampalataya kayo at kita-kita tayo.

Isang mahalagang paalala: ang mga blogs na ito ay personal kong opinyon at eksposisyon; hindi ito opisyal na pananaw ng Partido Christian Bible Church. Kung nais ninyong malaman ang kanilang opisyal na posisyun, magtanong kayo sa mga matanda ng simbahan. Ang Nieto Bible Page ay isang hiwalay na ministri mula sa PCBC at independiyente rito. Nakikipagtipon ako sa PCBC, pero may personal akong kumbiksiyon sa mga bagay. Bagama't miyembro (muli) ako ng teaching and ruling leadership ng PCBC, anumang mabasa ninyo rito ay hiwalay sa kanila. Anumang nasusulat ay aking pananagutan. 

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