The Path That Leads to Transformation

No Pain, No Gain

Someone once said, "The pain you feel today is the strength you will feel tomorrow." I know this with my head, but my "want to" necessary to get me to exercise regularly sometimes just isn't there.

I get it. What I know I need to do I don't do because I don't want to strong enough to overcome my will. And that, my dear friends, applies to spiritual exercise as much, or more, than physical exercise!

So, what can I do to strengthen my will, heal my will, so that my "want to" overcomes my laziness or my satisfaction with the status quo? And what are the costs for doing nothing? The answers are not going to make you "feel" good, but they might just get you off the couch and on your knees!

2 Timothy 2:1-10

Timothy, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier on service gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to satisfy the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hardworking farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will grant you understanding in everything.

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descended from David, as preached in my gospel, the gospel for which I am suffering and wearing fetters like a criminal. But the word of God is not fettered. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus with its eternal glory.

St. Paul is trying to teach his spiritual son, St. Timothy, how to lead Timothy's parish well and to help those Christians exercise their spiritual lives to make them strong. St. Paul knows that if this Christian Faith is going to be effective in transforming the lives of the [people who say they believe it, and if this Faith is going to be strong and effective enough to be passed on to future generations, then the focus of the people must be on actually practicing the Faith! And that means exercise and sore spiritual muscles!

First, St. Paul tells Timothy that the key to real Christian strength is to "be strong" in grace. But not just any grace; the grace in Jesus Christ. There's an old saying that may sound trite but it is effective. GRACE is God's Riches At Christ's Expense. Just a quick memory tool for you. The truth is if I am going to be a strong Christian I have to have as my focus, not some religious philosophy or doctrinal understanding. All that is good, but the real exercise I need to be strong is to truly and fully LOVE Jesus Christ for what He has done, is doing, and will do on my behalf. Trust flows from my focus on Jesus Christ and His love for me. My first foundational truth is that God has proven He loves me, and He wants me with Him, and He created me to be His companion forever BECAUSE of Who Jesus Christ is and What He has already done for me in destroying sin, death, and Satan. Be Strong In Grace!

Next, Stay Focused on Your True Purpose. If I am going to be strong in the Faith, I have to avoid the distractions that take my eyes off WHY I am a follower of Jesus Christ. No habit, not culture, not accident of birth, but a conscious choice of my will to be a follower of Jesus Christ BECAUSE He Is Risen from the Dead and He has blazed the Path to follow. Following Jesus means I keep my eyes on the goal, and everything that tries to distract me from that goal is an "enemy" of me being strong in the Faith and exercising my will to stay focused. There's an old story about how a farmer plows a straight row for his crops. He doesn't look down at the plow. If he does that the rows will all be crooked. No. The farmer keeps his eyes up and points to the end of the row to keep it straight! And that is the exercise we must do to keep our lives straight and headed in the right direction. We keep our eyes on the end Goal!

Finally, We never Forget the main motivation. If I am going to be strong, if I am going to see the "medicine" of the Faith truly heal my broj=ken places and make me a spiritually mature and healthy person, I am going to have a big enough motivation to put distraction aside and keep me exercising my Faith. If you've ever tried to be consistent in any exercise program, you know that giving up or stumbling with consistency is the biggest "enemy" of an effective exercise program. Well, the same is true for your spiritual health. It's why the Church doesn't call us the "successful" or the "brilliant" or the "wealthy." No, the Church calls us The Faithful. The key to seeing your "want to" healthy; the key to your spiritual strength and your spiritual maturity; the key to giving you the strength to pass through hard times and even persecution, all lies within your "faithfulness" regardless of what is going on around you!

A perfect example of all of this wisdom is St. Artemios the Great Martyr. St. Artemios lived during the reign of St. Constantine the Great but also outlived this emperor. St. Aremtios lived long enough to see an Emeror rise who was raised a Christian but rejected the Faith and plunged the Roman Empire into chaos. Julian the Apostate was attempting to revive all the paganism of the old Roman society and was leading many astray. St. Artemios confronted the Emperor to his face and Julian had him beheaded. Artemios knew he was in peril, but his focus and his faithfulness had made him stronger than "temporary" death. When your faith has been practiced faithfully and your spiritual exercise has been so effective that you no longer fear death, you are strong in the grace of Jesus Christ!

Today, start. Start stretching and exercising your Faith to strengthen your will. Start today. Be faithful in prayer, in the spiritual disciplines of the Faith, and in gathering with your fellow Orthodox for worship. Apply yourself to learning the Faith. Read the lives of the saints. Then you'll finally know what a Normal Orthodox Christian life truly is and you'll be strong!

P.S. Let us now gather and worthily acclaim with hymns the pious and crowned Martyr Artemios, the greatest among Martyrs and richest bestower of miracles, who raised the trophies of victory over the enemy; for he interceds with the Lord for us all.

What a joy to welcome all our new subscribers! Now, will you take a minute and visit FaithEncouraged.org and become not just a consumer, but a supporter? Thanks