Strengthen Your Core

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

Mark 12:30

Jesus identified our spiritual core muscles as the heart, the soul, and the mind. These three muscles enable us to love God wholly and completely. But do we have to exercise them so we can be spiritually healthy and strong?

Let me explain it this way: A body builder wouldn’t go to the gym week in and week out and focus only on building his biceps. He knows that without an exercise routine that develops his body as a whole—not just his biceps—his other muscles would develop unevenly, or even atrophy. Similarly, we should focus on strengthening and growing all three muscles that make up our spiritual core, or we risk growing stagnant, complacent, and lukewarm. Spiritual fitness, on the other hand, will help us deal with life’s challenges and be ready to respond with a strong heart, soul, and mind.

Keeping spiritually strong is no different from keeping physically strong. We need to work out our physical core muscles regularly. We need to work out our spiritual core muscles every day. Showing love to others, praying, and studying God’s Word are three ways we can do that and start today!

I want to love You, Lord, with all that I am, with my heart, soul, and mind. I will strengthen them so I can be spiritually healthy and serve You well.