Strengthening the weak side

Tonight while working out, I discovered that my right leg is significantly weaker than my left. Pretty sure it’s due to an on-going injury I’m dealing with, but nevertheless it surprised me. As I struggled to complete the exercise, I thought about what I could do to strengthen that leg.

I can’t do it quickly. I can’t just go and grab a set of 15lb weights and start doing single leg squats. I can’t run out to the gym and immediately do a 50lb single leg press. Even though I would want to improve my strength as fast as possible, I know I’d be setting myself up for failure – injury, burn out, strain… I wouldn’t be able to keep going. The only way to strengthen the weak side is to start small and build up. Consistent, tiny changes are the key.

The same principle applies to our faith.

Most people will agree that are five main “spiritual disciplines” that will strengthen and reflect on your relationship with God. (Some people would add fasting to this list.)

• Meditating on scripture
• Practicing praise and thanksgiving
• Prayer
• Giving
• Serving

These are not boxes to be checked because they are what “good Christians” should do! These are things that we do because our relationship with God compels us to do them. If you are not doing these things, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad person or that your faith isn’t real. But, it may mean that there is a weakness there you need to address.

I’ll be honest – if I were a five-faith-legged creature, most of my legs would appear broken and useless. I do not regularly practice all of these disciplines. But tonight as I was awkwardly rising up on my right leg, I began to wonder if I should look into these more.

The problem is that it’s hard to stand when one leg is weak. Other parts of the body have to work that much harder to compensate, and it takes greater effort to stay strong. I love studying my Bible and meditating on scripture. But my prayer life??? That’s another story… And it’s easy for me to praise God and thank Him, except when it comes to finances and then I get stingey and afraid. Consequently, I know that there are areas in my spiritual life where I am weak, more susceptible to temptation, more vulnerable to fear.

What is your strong side? Where are you weak? When you consider why you don’t do these things, what are your reasons? I believe our excuses often reveal what we believe to be true about God or about ourselves. There are times I’ve chosen not to pray because I struggled to believe that it mattered. I’ve chosen not to give because I feel guilty about how much money I’ve spent on other things, and now worry that we can’t afford it. I’ve also refused to give because my husband is an atheist and I worry about what he would think if I gave money to the church.

I challenge you to ponder these things in in your heart this week and ask yourself and God where you are weak, what your weak side is, and how you could strengthen it. Ask His advice on baby steps – memorizing one verse for the rest of October; listening to praise music whenever you drive; giving $5 extra on Sunday; serving your neighbors by putting out their trashcan on garbage day.

I’m going to be praying with you – yes PRAYING – taking a baby step towards strengthening my conversation with God by actually engaging with Him more!

And the point is not to do these things to become “better” people! No, it is so our faith will be STRONG. I think of Moses, who “went out, not knowing where he was going.” God could ask that of any one of us. At any moment, our lives could take a turn and we would be walking into a situation that is completely unexpected and hard and foreign, and we would need to walk by faith, not by sight. Everyday I fight doubt and fear in my walk with God. Everyday they threaten to overwhelm me, and I want to be strong! I need to be strong! I do not want my weak side to hold me back!

What is your weak side? What part of your life are you holding back from God? Where is your faith most vulnerable to temptation/pride/fear/doubt? God’s spirit within us is ready and willing to stir up our faith but we must do the hard work of practicing those baby steps, moving closer towards Him.

Unlike in exercising, strengthening the weak sides of our faith doesn’t usually mean pushing harder, but rather letting go… of our fears, our selfishness, our busyness, our laziness, our ego, our righteousness, our own ambitious pursuits. When we let go of what WE want to do, and ask the Spirit what is best for us, the way might feel strenuous and awkward and hard, but the end result will be greater peace and strength.