Flexing Our Spiritual Muscles: Lifting Ourselves Through Daily Practice

When life feels heavy, it can seem impossible to rise above the weight of loss, change, and uncertainty. Just as we strengthen our physical bodies through exercise, we can also build strength in our spirits. I call this process flexing our spiritual muscles—the daily, intentional practices that help us lift ourselves into greater resilience, meaning, and peace.

What Are Spiritual Muscles?

Spiritual muscles are not abstract or mystical. They are the inner resources we all have: compassion, patience, gratitude, forgiveness, trust, and hope. Like physical muscles, they grow stronger the more we use them. Left unpracticed, they weaken, and life’s challenges can knock us down more easily.

Why Do We Need Them?

Loss and change are part of every human life. Grief, disappointment, or uncertainty can feel like weights we don’t have the strength to carry. Spiritual muscles give us the capacity to not only endure those weights but also transform them. Instead of being crushed by difficulty, we can lift ourselves and discover growth, meaning, and even joy in the process.

How Do We Strengthen Them?

• Start Small: Just as you wouldn’t begin weightlifting with 100 pounds, don’t expect to master peace or patience overnight. Begin with small acts: one deep breath before responding, one word of kindness, one moment of gratitude.

• Practice Consistency: Spiritual strength doesn’t come from grand gestures but from steady practice. Daily meditation, prayer, journaling, or mindful walks become the “reps” that build endurance.

• Honor Resistance: When you feel impatient, fearful, or hopeless, see it as the moment your spiritual muscles are being tested. That’s the very point where growth happens—if you lean in instead of retreating.

• Seek Connection: Our spiritual muscles grow stronger in community. Share your journey with trusted friends, family, or spiritual circles. Lifting each other lifts us all.

Practical Practice: The Daily Spiritual Rep

Try this simple exercise for one week:

1. Pause: Before getting out of bed, place your hand on your heart and take three slow breaths.

2. Name Strength: Whisper one quality you want to practice that day (compassion, patience, gratitude, trust).

3. Act: Look for at least one opportunity to practice that quality before the day ends.

4. Reflect: Before bed, ask yourself, How did I use my spiritual muscle today?

This five-minute routine is like lifting a small but steady weight every day. Over time, your resilience, compassion, and inner peace will grow stronger.

The Gift of Growth

Building spiritual muscles isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress. Every small lift matters. Over time, you may notice that what once felt unbearable is now manageable. You’ll find yourself standing taller, able to support not only yourself but others who need a steady hand.

Just as the body thrives with care and exercise, the spirit flourishes when we practice compassion, gratitude, and love. And in doing so, we discover a truth that can carry us through any challenge: the strength we need has been within us all along.

Takeaway:

Today, pause, name your strength, act, and reflect. That one small rep is how you lift yourself into resilience and growth.