What Makes You Strong? Strength Development for Body and Spirit

According to CrossFit, true fitness is made up of 10 physical skills. They are Cardiovascular and Respiratory Endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance, and Accuracy. Not surprisingly these skills show up in our daily lives and need to be sharpened as well. Today we discuss STRENGTH. 

The “System” of Building Strength:
So far we’ve discussed cardiorespiratory endurance and stamina and explained how to improve each one. (To catch up on these devotionals – click here.)

Endurance is improved by spending time under a test or challenge. Stamina is being able to make the most of our energy during that test or challenge. But now we move onto strength, the most commonly used term when it comes to fitness.

Strength is the ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply force. Typically, we get stronger by one of two methods – we either increase the size of our muscle tissue or we can increase the number of neural connections that move the muscle which enables it to be more efficient. Both methods require some form of resistance to be present in order for the muscle to adapt to the challenge and therefore grow.

However, most people are surprised that strength development does not simply occur from lifting heavier and heavier weights. Ultimately, you are only as strong as the strength of your body’s “strength system”. For example, without your hips, knees and ankles, you would not be able to perform a proper squat. Therefore, the strength of your body will ultimately depend on the strength of its surrounding joints and body parts.

How does this apply to our lives? Think about a time when you focused on trying to lose fat or gain strength in a specific body part. Sometimes we focus too heavily on a singular part without giving much thought to the surrounding “strength system” that will need to be strengthened as well.

Outside of our physical strength, the bible tells us to become strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10) but to do that we must also acknowledge all the parts to the “strength system”. Think about what the Bible says about “strength” and how we are to obtain it:

• We are told not to fear (Deuteronomy 31:6)
• We are to wait on Him (Isaiah 40:31)
• We are told to praise Him (Exodus 15:2)
• We are to understand, acknowledge and embrace our “weaknesses”  (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
• We are to seek His presence for strength (1 Chronicles 16:11)
• We must remember that He is with us always (1 Timothy 4:17, Joshua 1:9)

HOW CAN I APPLY THIS TODAY? 

GET READY: Read the verses listed above and meditate on what part of the “strength system” you need to focus on.

STAY READY: Remember that strength in the Lord and in life does not come from a single action but from several actions working together.