#projectC61920 Day 10: Physical Resilience

#projectC61920 Day 10: Physical Resilience

The next few days will be about building resiliency. The ability to withstand hardships in our four focal areas. Today, we’ll talk about physical resiliency.

In order to become resilient, we need two things: resistance and time. Resistance is anything that impedes or attempts to prevent movement or progression of something. In physical training, we often use resistance weights to make movements more difficult in order to produce endurance and overall strength increase. These weights, when combined with our choice to strive against them, results in the destruction of the weakest fibers of our muscles. These fibers tear apart under the strain of exercise (this is why we feel sore after a good workout), but they are stronger afterward, once they’ve healed. The next time we use them, those fibers will survive the exercise and the next weakest ones will be torn and rebuilt. Thus the cycle perpetuates. But none of this is possible without resistance. No amount of mental knowledge or emotional direction can strengthen a muscle. Only resistance will produce stronger fibers. Only the rending of the weakest fibers will allow them to become more than they were.

We must also work out the muscles of our body properly. We must ensure that we do not take on more than our strength can handle safely. This is where it differs from our spiritual experience. Spiritual resistance can come in the form of temptation, which is somewhat different from external resistance. But more on that tomorrow.

In order to ensure physical safety, we must focus our exercises on both the muscles that are naturally strong, and those that are not. There is a benefit to working in your strengths, but you cannot allow your weaknesses to be a weak link in the physical chain. Just as an alcoholic should not spend time at a bar, we should not put on so much weight that we break ourselves. We must take it a little at a time. Christianity is not a destination (though there certainly is one!); it is a journey. A journey has many steps and several destinations along the way. We don’t start by benching 300lbs. We start with what we can handle safely (which for me was only 90lbs in the beginning), and we practice. Before I knew it, I was able to bench 105, then 115. It takes time, and there are no shortcuts. You cannot force a flower to bloom before it is ready, or you risk completely destroying the flower. Similarly, you cannot force your body to do what is not capable of doing. Now, I do believe that most human bodies are capable of far more than the mind is aware, but that kind of strain should be done with professional supervision whenever possible. Remember, consider the risk you put on God’s temple when you work out!

Don’t forget to incorporate resistance/strength training in your workouts. Most gyms have both strength and cardio equipment. Take advantage of what you have access to.

One final note. Though we’ve discussed not putting yourself on overload, remember not to cheat yourself. Paul said he buffeted/disciplined his body (allowed it to go through resistance and toughening experiences) and made it his slave (1 Corinthians 9:27). Paul also said he would not be mastered by his body (1 Corinthians 6:12). Be the master of your body. Buffet and discipline your body. You cannot change your flesh nature, you cannot change your genetics, you cannot exchange the temple God gave you. But you can remind it of who is boss.

#walkwithme