Colleen Orchanian

"Show Me Your Muscles!" That's something we ask little kids. They flex their arms, and we make a fuss about what big muscles they have.

We Christians need big muscles too. In Luke 10:27, Jesus says: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.

As I meditated on that passage one day, I wondered about the word "strength". What does it mean? What kinds of strength are there? Are women really the weaker sex? Can I get stronger? If so, how? Enquiring minds wanted to know!

I started by looking for a definition and found two: the capacity of an object or substance to withstand great force or pressure; the emotional or mental qualities necessary in dealing with situations or events that are distressing or difficult.

In other words, am I able to withstand great force or pressure? Do I have what it takes to deal with distressing and difficult situations? Sometimes I am quite strong and forceful. Other times my strength is lacking. I know I need strength to love and serve others, to boldly speak God's truth, to live in union with God, in sickness and in health.

I considered what kinds of strength there might be. I identified five: physical, intellectual, emotional, strength of character, and spiritual.

Physical Strength

Endurance, energy, bodily power. Men usually have an advantage here, but I know plenty of moms out there who have incredible physical strength to manage the demands of a large family, including my mother, who had 11 children. God gives us the strength we need to fulfill our mission in life. That mission might change over time, and our physical abilities will change as well. In God's wisdom, most people become parents when they are young. They have more energy than older folks. They can function on less sleep. They can carry two or three kids at a time, or one kid in the middle of a temper tantrum. We need physical strength for that, and God provides it.

Even without a family, we need physical strength, and we have a role to play in maintaining that strength. It boils down to two things: diet and exercise. Put the right things into your body and keep your body moving to build or maintain your strength.

Paul wrote that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. I, for one, do not always treat it that way. I have more strength when I am well-hydrated and avoid junk food, when I eat a home-cooked meal rather than eat out. When I get a good night's rest, not staying up late watching TV or scrolling through my phone. Resting when my immune system is weak so I can recover quickly.

When I care for my body as God's temple, I can maximize the physical strength available to me. I can serve God as He calls me to serve, caring for my family, volunteering at church, working in the community. When we are physically strong, we keep going like the Energizer Bunny.

Intellectual Strength

The ability to understand and explain concepts. In the same way that I need to feed my body well, I must feed my mind. If I take in intellectual junk food, my intellect will starve. Intellectual junk food includes things like doom scrolling, gossip, mindless games, and many social media posts. When I'm bored, what do I do? Do I engage my intellect or indulge the boredom?

Paul writes in Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Paul encourages us to engage our minds with things of God. That's how we strengthen our intellect.

Emotional Strength

Navigating challenging situations and trials; perseverance under pressure. When things start to go wrong, do we crumble or hang in there? Jesus told us to pick up our cross and follow him. He gives us the emotional strength to do that. He walks with us, helping us carry that cross.

Sometimes we don't carry our cross well. We have breakdowns. We fall down, just like Jesus. We say, "I can't take it anymore." I am reminded of the movie Hacksaw Ridge, about Desmond Doss, a soldier in World War II who would not carry a weapon. He was persecuted mercilessly, but remained strong in his faith. In the climactic battle in the film, he saved the lives of 75 soldiers, carrying each one of them out of the line of fire. His prayer was, "Just one more, Lord. Let me get just one more." He had physical strength, but even more important, he had emotional strength. He could have given up, but he didn't. He asked God for the strength to continue, and God provided.

It's not our strength that carries us through the trials of life, it's surrendering to God and leaning on His strength. With God, all things are possible.

We can grow in emotional strength by seeking healing from the hurts in our lives. When we are wounded emotionally, we aren't strong. But Jesus wants to heal us. He can do that through a Christian therapist, a support group, or another kind of faith-based group where you feel God's love through other people. Seek that healing, and you will grow stronger than you can imagine.

Strength of Character

Fortitude in always choosing God's way. The devil wants us to make concessions in our standards. He wants to blur the boundaries in our relationships. God wants us to stand firm in His Word and His teachings, even when the world threatens or ridicules us.

A young person was sharing his reaction to the murder of Charlie Kirk. He said it made him hesitate to share his faith. I challenged him to pray for courage. We can never be afraid to speak the truth. The apostles always spoke the truth. They could not be intimidated into silence. Neither should we.

We gain strength of character by growing in virtue and deepening our relationship with God. The closer we get to God, the more we know what He is asking of us, the more courage we have, and the more easily we can maintain those virtues that make us saints. And that's what we all want to be.

Spiritual Strength

Fully living in faith, no matter what. It's my mom putting her last $2 in the collection plate, knowing that God would provide what our family needed the next week. It's my father embracing suffering near the end of his life, knowing God was with him. It's the teenager who comes to daily Mass, even when nobody in her family goes to church. It's the priests and nuns who give their entire lives to God, foregoing the blessings of marriage and family. It's that person you know who always seeks God's will, who listens and encourages you when you're struggling, who easily and naturally leads you in prayers of healing. These spiritual giants are all around us. They know God intimately. That's the key to spiritual strength.

Maybe you don't have spiritual strength now, but that doesn't mean you can't have it in the future. I was once a spiritual nothing. I didn't pray. I didn't read the Bible. I didn't go to church. I had no spiritual strength. All I had was one very thin thread connecting me to God, and God used that. Slowly, He built me up. Slowly, He revealed Himself to me. Slowly, He touched my heart and lit a fire in me that burns today. I am not a spiritual giant like the great saints of the past, but I want to be, and I'm on the road. You are too.

Our strengths ebb and flow throughout our lives. Small children and the elderly aren't as physically strong as someone in the prime of life. Injuries, illnesses, and trauma can sap our strength. In response, we make a conscious effort to grow stronger, and God's grace will help us along the way. (I can do all things through God who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13) When one type of strength is waning, others may be developing.

Acknowledge the strengths you have right now. Thank God for developing those areas in you. Then choose one area that is weak, that you want to develop and start there. Make your goal to grow stronger so you can love God with all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. So go ahead. Show us your muscles!

Questions for prayer:

1. In which area are you strongest? How have you developed those strengths? How have they borne fruit in your life?

2. What one strength area would you like to develop? What action can you take this week to begin that growth?