Growing Stronger

For years, I’ve had thinning bones. I faithfully take my calcium pills and make sure I get weight bearing exercise.

After a recent bone scan showed additional thinning, I really stepped up the exercise. In addition to tap dance classes and walks in the woods, made an effort to get up and walk every hour for at least 250 steps. For two years, I faithfully did my additional weight-bearing exercises.

Recently, I had another bone density scan. When I called for the results, the nurse said, “You have a statistically significant increase in bone density.” Wow! I was thrilled. While I was hoping to prevent bone loss, I had actually gained bone mass.

I was so excited that all my hard work made a difference. While I danced and walked, my body was growing new bone mass. With every step and every tap, unseen changes were happening deep inside my body, making me healthier. What wonderful news.

After the excitement died down, I thought about my soul. Just like my bones, it can weaken or grow stronger. No matter what I do, unseen changes are happening deep within my soul. When I become spiritually sedentary, neglecting time in the word or time with God, changes happen within my soul, and I become distant from God. I rely more on myself than on Him.

But just as my bone health improved, so my soul health can improve. When I spend time reading God’s word, praying, praising him and communing with Him, my soul changes. My relationship with God grows stronger, strengthening my soul.

I walk 250 steps every hour. I wonder what would happen if I took a minute to pray every hour of the day? How would that strengthen my soul?

We don’t have scans that can show these changes inside a soul. Nothing concrete measures improvements in love, peace, joy, or other fruits of the spirit, but we know faithfulness strengthens the soul. Even without a scan, we know that God enables our soul to grow and we become stronger and more Christ-like.

So, if you’ve neglected your soul, don’t be discouraged. Instead, rejoice. Seek God’s wisdom and let Him guide your soul growth. He will see the ways you are changing and growing, and will work deep within your soul to strengthen it.