Word of the Week - Strength

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  Isaiah 40:31

Physical Strength – BodyWe all desire to be strong and have the ability to overcome the challenges of life by having strength and fortitude.  The real question is where does our strength come from.  Physical strength is easiest to understand as a function of genetics, diet and exercise.  If we are blessed with good genes and take care of ourselves through eating well and exercising regularly, we can have tremendous strength and endurance and thus overcome amazing physical challenges.Inner Strength – Soul  As important as physical strength is to our lives, I would suggest that one’s inner strength (heart, mind and emotions) is most important to their health and wellbeing.  So what gives some people the strength to deal with and overcome challenging circumstances with grace, peace, fervor and serenity, whereas some people are crushed by similar situations?  I believe it is based upon their perspective, how they see the situation and where they draw their strength from.  Do they have hope beyond their circumstances.  Do they have a more eternal perspective vs. a temporal perspective?  If you put almost any challenging issue in the lens of eternity then it becomes relatively insignificant.  The apostle Paul had an amazing inner strength that was exemplified through tremendous trials: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9.  Paul’s hope remained in something well beyond this world.Abiding Strength – Spirit Similar to physical strength, in order to build our faith and trust in God, we must exercise our spirit daily to maintain and build our faith.  The discipline of consistency pays off;  just as our bodies become strengthened over time through the proactive process of working our muscles daily to build strength and resistance; similarly, we must exercise our spirit each day to build our relational trust and faith in the Lord by seeking Him and knowing Him at a deeper level through seeking and connecting with Him.  We receive our spiritual food (daily bread) and strength by abiding in Christ through our daily disciplines (spiritual exercise) that include but are not limited to: praying, reading God’s word, fellowshipping with other believers, worshipping Him and giving thanks and praise to acknowledge what God has done and is doing for us.  This builds our faith and spiritual strength so when life deals us challenges we are prepared and have the strength to draw upon to overcome and hopefully thrive.  “So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you and my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10COVID-19It looks like our leaders are working at a local, state and federal levels to coordinate and build a plan of restarting our economy as the data shows that we are trending on the downslope of Coronavirus cases.  Let’s continue to pray for godly wisdom for our government and business leaders as they develop these plans toward recovery.  Hopefully we will see more specifics with trigger dates this week.  I pray that you will find tremendous strength, hope and peace through your abiding walk with Christ even in the midst of this unprecedented time of crisis.Abiding in Christ daily renews our strength and allows us to soar like an eagle and not grow weary so we can overcome the adversities of life and continue to grow and strengthen or faith and ultimately be made mature and complete so we can overcome, grow and thrive and ultimately finish our lives well and attain our reward in Christ.Have a blessed week,-Duane