Sabbath Thought – Hard Calling

How strong are your muscles? It depends doesn’t it? Ounce for ounce, the human tongue is the strongest muscle. Heart muscle is the strongest if we look at lack of fatigue. Whatever our dominant hand is, we tend to have stronger muscles on that side of our body. But our bodies are not static, and so muscle strength can change depending on age – babies are very weak because they have never used most of those muscles, but seniors can be weak as well due to lack of movement, declining hormones, etc.

When we use a muscle to fatigue, that muscle needs to be repaired. If we use the muscles hard enough, then the repair hurts. This is the feeling we get when we rake the leaves all day Sunday and our hands and arms hurt on Monday. When our muscles hurt that rebuilding is on the outer part of the muscle – that is, not all of the way through the muscle. The strongest part of the muscle is on the outside because we generally don’t regularly use our muscles to fatigue over time.

But, if we work a muscle long enough, this rebuilding and repairing works its way to the core of the muscle. Then something really interesting happens – the process begins again from the inside out. This is when a muscle is in its top condition. This is the type of muscle a well-conditioned athlete will have, or workers in physically demanding jobs like construction, concrete workers, etc. This is the type of spiritual muscle we should have.

God allows trials and difficulties in this life to spiritually condition us. He needs to help us be spiritually strong, and the only way that happens is for Him to help us work that spiritual muscle to peak condition. Our calling is hard, but because of what God is offering, it is worth striving for. Jude calls this “earnestly contending” (Jude 1:3). Paul says this is “exercising to discern” (Hebrews 5:14).

Our calling can be hard at times, but God knows we can succeed. We can be confident in that (Philippians 1:6). It is possible because of Jesus Christ living in us though God’s Holy Spirit (Mark 10:27). Even though our calling may be hard at times, we also know that God doesn’t allow us to be pushed beyond what we are able to bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). The struggle we have is the human desire to be comfortable. We don’t like to be pushed beyond our comfort zone. We don’t like to be in challenging situations that can make us uncomfortable, uneasy, or uncertain. But this is where growth can happen. What if the baby never struggles to sit up, to roll over, to stand or to try and walk. The muscles would never develop, and the baby would be completely helpless.

It is in fact the challenges and trying circumstances that help us to grow spiritually. Peter reminds us that our sufferings help to perfect us (1 Peter 5:10). We see where we are coming up short and know what needs to be improved upon. We see attitudes that need to be improved. We see where a lack of knowledge or understanding has prevented us from conditioning and strengthening our spiritual muscles.

God already sees us completely in His family and an heir with Jesus Christ to all that the Father has to offer (Galatians 4:6-7). But, we must do our part in reaching forward and exercising our spiritual muscles in order to fully be in God’s family (Philippians 3:13).

I wish you a very meaningful and spiritually restful Sabbath,

Dan Dowd

8 November, 2025