Growing Pains

Do you know that feeling you get when you haven’t run in a while and decide one day to pick it back up? The first day you feel great, but you wake up the next morning aching in places you never knew you had.

I think you know what I’m talking about.

Or maybe you have been a runner for some time, but decide one day to start speed work outs, or hills. Ugh…Don’t even make me think about it. Here you thought you were in pretty decent shape, but again, you wake up the next morning unable to get out of bed.

But you plug through it. You do it because you know that that is the only way to get back in shape. You do it because even though it hurts, it’s a good kind of hurt. You do it because you are convinced of the necessity of that road.

And if you don’t do it, well, you become fat and flabby. And who wants that?

Don’t think for a minute that your spiritual growth is any different.

If you want to get in shape spiritually, it’s gonna hurt at first. You’re gonna be using muscles you haven’t used in a long time. Your conscience is gonna pierce every time you take a wrong turn. And that hurts at first. You’re also gonna find it hard to make the time to become spiritually fit.

Like any habit, they say it takes 21 days to effectively develop a good habit. But boy, those first 21 days are a battle. Every morning you will be faced with the struggle of having to get out of bed to do it. Again. Even though you don’t feel like it. Even though every bone in your spiritual body is aching.

But you do it because you know it’s good for you.

You do it because you don’t have a choice.

You do it because you know it’s the only way to get back in shape with God.

Don’t give up. Keep at it. One day at a time.

God will give you the strength you need to be what he wants you to be.

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