I heard of a man who became incredibly strong not by lifting weights or exercising, but by standing still. I thought that sounded impossible, but my classmates who met him during a research project assured me that he was real. He practiced a unique form of a martial art, with a twist. He did everything in extremely slow motion – so slowly that you wouldn’t even notice him shifting poses unless you watched for a long while. For years he spent many hours of each day in the same room, moving only in the smallest increments. He developed incredible balance, stability, and stamina. He was a walking powerhouse.
When we think of building spiritual strength, do we first think of stillness, faithfulness, discipline, and rest? Do we think of laying down our burdens? It is so contrary to our natural way of thinking, but our greatest strength is not in pushing ourselves through stress and strain. The Holy Ghost, our greatest comfort, is just like a personal trainer for our spirit. He teaches us how to build our strength in Him (John 14:26). He calls us in a quiet voice, away from exhaustion and into His rest. He promised that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light (I Kings 19:12, Matthew 11:28-30). We can cast our burdens on the Him because He sustains us, and cares for all our needs (Psalm 55:22, I Peter 5:7). We have nothing to be anxious about when we bring our worries to Him in prayer (Philippians 4:6). All our help comes from Him (Psalm 121). As the world grows increasingly wicked, we can rest in the Lord. He will be exalted even in the darkness around us (Psalm 37:7, 46:10). We can be glad and joyful, and our flesh can rest in hope (Psalm 16:9).
Our strength doesn’t come from trying to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. It comes from laying our burdens down at His feet, and from resting in His strength.
He has called each of us to a life of dedication to prayer, fasting, spending time in His Word, and making disciples. When we follow His training plan, we will become a walking powerhouse: unmovable, victorious, efficient, and productive in the work of the Lord (I Corinthians 15:57-58). In Him, we can be balanced, stable, and strong!
Devotion by Kristi Moore
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