I was thinking today about how ridiculously sore I am in comparison to the tiny amount of exercise I did yesterday. As with most things in my life, I eventually drifted into the comparison between my spiritual life and my physical life. The questions I have been struggling with is this; what can I do to work out spiritually to the point of being spiritually sore, and secondly, is it possible to be spiritually sore? This is probably a ridiculous thought, but then again, so are 96.3% of the other thoughts that cross my mind
I'm interested in this concept because I have felt similar effects from spiritual experiences as from physical and mental ones, so why can't these be paralleled? I wonder what it feels like to feel spiritually sore, and what it takes to get there? Is it a good thing or is it a bad thing? If I can become physically sore so easily, why is it that I don't become spiritually sore as often?
The reason I am so sore today is that I worked out with a friend and we pushed each other the whole time. Usually I work out by myself and don't end up feeling like my entire body will freeze up like the tin man at any given point. Working out with Patrick gave me someone to struggle with, compete with, support, and be supported by. We kept each other going even when we both wanted to quit. It is perfectly natural and normal to grow and gain muscle without ever feeling super sore, but when we push ourselves physically, we grow much faster.
I have decided that this is exactly why I have not experienced much spiritual soreness. I don't push myself very often, I have experienced growth with little effort before, and so I haven't had much of a reason to push myself. Until now. I'm convinced that if pushing myself physically to the point of exhaustion and soreness, putting forth similar efforts in pursuit of God will do the same. Now I just need to figure out how to spiritually "work out."
I think a really important part of the parallel here is having someone to work with. Sure it is possible to grow spiritually without outside influences other than God, but we will never reach our full spiritual potential if we don't allow ourselves to be pushed and supported by fellow believers.
I'm really intrigued to discover spiritual soreness and hopefully the exponential growth that I expect will come with it.
Hi Daniel! Really good thought! I don't think it's dumb at all. I think that's why God gave us the church-to push each other on to perfection.
ReplyDeleteAnother thought: soreness happens because of buildup of lactic acid in your muscles, which is basically the result of you outworking your own current ability to deliver oxygen to your body. Your cardiovascular system has not had to keep up with that kind of demand for at least a long time, perhaps ever. When we are inactive (relatively or completely), our bodies' cardiovascular system gets gradually re-modeled back into that of an inactive person-we don't automatically retain the good shape we periodically get ourselves in. Your blood hemoglobin content decreases, your heart becomes less efficient, and some of your capillaries (small blood vessels) even close up and go away. This is basically because your body only wants to keep just enough machinery around to do what is currently being demanded of it. No need to maintain a runner's cardiovascular system in a couch potato's body. If you don't use it, you lose it. So when you try to become active again, it's like trying to fill up an Olympic-sized swimming pool, but the only tool you have to do it with is a bucket and a water spout 20 yards away. It just doesn't work out too well.
The point? If physical soreness means you've reached a level of activity that your body hasn't had to keep up with before (or used muscles you haven't used in awhile), then maybe spiritual soreness is pushing ourselves (or having others push us) to new heights we haven't been to before, also. Using "spiritual muscles" we didn't know were there. Perhaps even becoming spiritually active for the first time ever. It will feel strange and perhaps even painful because we haven't been to that level of spiritual activity before, which is what you're saying I think. We don't have the "spiritual plumbing," if you will, to adequately fuel us yet. But IF (big if) we keep it up, we'll eventually get used to it. The pain will go away and we'll feel comfortable at that level of spiritual discipline. In fact, we'll feel weird to NOT keep it up. Until we or someone else pushes us to yet another new height, at which time we'll probably feel sore again (isn't there a Scripture that says something about, "I beat my body and make it my slave..."?)
What does that "feel" like? Not sure.
Examples of this? Finally repenting of that old sin that has stood between us and God for years. Committing to have a daily, intimate relationship with God through prayer and the Word, if you haven't had that before. Fasting. Striving to "keep in step with the Spirit" as opposed to keeping in step with our culture or our own wants. Listening to God. Doing whatever it takes to fix your broken marriage, or your distant relationship with your kids or parents or siblings. "Praying continually." Answering God's call to preach the gospel. Actually loving others JUST LIKE yourself. Actually loving God with everything you have.
Thank you! Thats great stuff! I love learning the ACTUAL facts behind the things that run through my head!
Deletelove this daniel!!
ReplyDelete