Spiritually Strong in the Lord
Is being spiritually strong in the Lord important to you? Maybe you don’t give it much thought. But what if God wants more from you because He knows you’ll be happier? Feeling spiritually weak but not knowing what to do about it doesn’t have to be your norm.
To gain spiritual strength Christians exercise their spiritual muscles. Doing so is similar to going to the gym every day and working out. You start out gradually to gain stamina and endurance. Before long, your muscles bulge and you can work out for hours instead of minutes.
One of the first things to do to become spiritually strong in the Lord is to pig out on spiritual food. Getting plump on the inside by consuming an abundance of God’s Word makes you spiritually fat. This is one time when it’s okay to is okay to be solid and large.
But first, let’s identify what spiritual weakness looks like.
Spiritually Strong in the Lord: Signs of a Weak Spirit
TV advertisements showing starving children cause me to turn away. Their emaciated appearance makes me wonder if they’ll live through the night.
Similarly, a spiritually-weak Christian has a skin-and-bones spirit. Their body looks normal but their spirit shows signs of starvation, like these.
- More concerned about fine-tuning theology and doctrine versus building a relationship with the triune God.
- Religious beliefs override moving with the Spirit of God because the flesh dominates every decision. Additionally, complacency and double-mindedness rule the heart.
- Becoming intimate with God isn’t a priority.
- Spiritually weak Christians cave quickly to worldly pressure. If everyone else does it, it’s okay. There’s a tendency to give in to temptations and sins.
- Fear rules the spirit instead of faith. Panic and worry are normal feelings throughout the day.
- Weak-spirited Christians are angry, touchy, and oversensitive.
- Giving up, lack of joy, feeling overwhelmed and wanting to quit are hallmarks of a weak and broken spirit.
- Victim mentality: Blaming others for your problems, thinking too much about yourself, discouraged and without hope
Those few signs signal that your spirit man needs attention. At any point in your Christian journey, you can get closer to having a stronger spirit.
Spiritually Strong in the Lord: Signs of a Strong Spirit
When I look back to where I’ve come and where I am, God has been busy changing me from glory to glory. But I wouldn’t recognize growth unless I wanted to become more like Jesus.
I became a willing participant in letting God change me because my goal is to become spiritually strong in the Lord. Check out what it means to have a strong spirit.
- A king-size desire to overcome adversities. A conquering spirit doesn’t back down from the devil’s attempts to kill, steal, and destroy. God’s Word anchors how a Christian faces trials and it’s their source for solutions.
- Bad news isn’t a Christian’s reality. They aren’t moved by events or doubt because they keep their eyes on Jesus.
- Fruit of the spirit is obvious (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith) in a Christian’s life. They live and nurture those traits until they operate in fullness.
- Confidence that God’s promises will come to pass no matter how long it takes.
- Ability to recognize the enemy at work. Satan is subtle, a trickster. Strong Christians stay alert to his schemes and shrewdness to get them off course.
- Integrity is a primary component of faith. Dependable Christians are faithful whether they complete small or large tasks. Their word is their bond.
- People with strong faith aren’t frustrated. They believe once they pray and patiently wait to see the results. They are excited about what God will do in their life and the lives of others.
- Delight in God and Him alone. When you’re sold out to Jesus you want to be a sweet-smelling aroma to Him. You’re dead to the flesh and alive to Christ. You keep your mind pure and renew your mind to heavenly things.
How to Be Spiritually Strong in the Lord
More than likely, you’re both strong and weak. Christians intent on becoming spiritually strong in the Lord work to improve weak areas. Step back and take a hard look at whether your spirit is weak or strong and then take steps to shore up what’s missing.
- Gain more knowledge: Christians will never get enough of the Word inside them in abundance. It seems to leak out every time spiritual distractions come or we hang with the wrong people. Just know, you improve your spiritual condition every time you read scripture, meditate on it, and spend time with God. The knowledge gained must reach your heart and not stay locked in your head. Otherwise, you’ll be religious and not spiritual.
- Stay diligent: You don’t bend at the slightest nudge of trouble. You’re deeply committed to God’s plan for you and aren’t lazy when it comes to spiritual growth. Being diligent means you give your undivided attention to God and work with the Holy Spirit to propel you forward.
- Don’t trust what you see or what your heart tells you: Everything in the world is a counterfeit representation of God’s truth. Many Christians let their eyes and hearts control their spirit instead of the other way around.
- Rest: Resting doesn’t mean you lie on a couch and do nothing. You learn to trust God FOR EVERYTHING. Examples of spiritual resting include casting your care on Jesus, praying in tongues, and waiting on God to renew your strength (Isaiah 40:31).
- Be careful what you feed your spirit: Many voices compete for your attention. If you aren’t cautious, you can let in teachings that aren’t from God. You won’t identify erroneous teachings unless you spend quality time reading the Bible and accepting its truth. Only dine on genuine faith food. Feed on anything else and fear and doubt will rule.
- Stay spiritually fit: As I mentioned earlier, a Christian must exercise spiritually. You must stand, pray, study, read, and meditate on the Word of God. When you exercise faith, you grow spiritually and get fitter on the inside.
Moving Forward Spiritually Strong
Spiritual giants see life as David did when he confronted Goliath. God was bigger on the inside of David than the 9 to 10-foot giant ready to kill him.
David routinely praised God by writing Psalms and quoted scripture so his spirit didn’t stagnate. God specifically made your spirit to flow with His. Faith words build rather than destroy. Steady steps of faith help you live a life spiritually strong in the Lord.