PT? For ME? With back pain that wouldn’t quit and difficulty putting on my shoes in the morning, I decided it was time for physical therapy. I discovered it was the right path to progress. My trainer carefully explained to me the source of my problems and began teaching me exercises and guidelines for recovery. These new exercises seemed strange and were not easy, but they worked! The key is that I still need to keep doing these exercises daily in order to train and strengthen my core muscles to hold me in the correct posture for my body.
I began to wonder, Lord, is there a parallel here to spiritual discipline? I glanced down at my Bible open in my lap, and the first word I saw was “discipline” from Hebrews 12:10: “God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been TRAINED by it.”
That’s it, I thought. God is training my spiritual muscles through His Word so that I become more like Him and find true peace. His words guide me in choosing right from wrong, hold me on the right path, and correct me when I step out of alignment. For example, when I read verses reminding me not to complain or be impatient, ouch! It stings! But I must remember God is training me to be better.
The passage in Hebrews continues, “Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees, Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed” (Heb. 12:12). The Greek word for “strengthen” literally means “straight, erect, upright.” Strengthening my physical muscles will help straighten my rounded shoulders, give me better posture, and help prevent further injuries. In a similar way, God’s instructions train me to be stronger in my spiritual attitudes and in my resolve to trust and follow Him. Proverbs 3:6 tells us, “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”
So how does God discipline us? He sometimes allows difficult or even painful circumstances that test our patience, demand our courage, or require us to say “no” to our own pursuits. It’s hard, it hurts. But God promises to bring good out of any situation for those who love Him and are seeking His purposes (Romans 8:28). God uses the difficult things in our life to guide us into depending more on Him. We come to realize that there are some things we can’t do for ourselves or for others, things that only He can do. When we prayerfully seek His plan and timing instead of our own, our spiritual muscles grow stronger.