Strengthening Our Core

A few months ago, I hurt my back badly and it lasted for several weeks before finally resolving with the help of regular painkillers and physiotherapy. In my lifetime, I have had several bouts of back injury but that episode was the worst and took me the longest to recover from. That experience made me realize that I had not properly taken care of my core muscles.

As Christians, our faith should be the core of who we are. In times of life’s storms, is our faith able to help us stand upright and keep us from falling? The quality of our faith is revealed in times of stress – yet in times of stress, it is also an opportunity for our faith to grow stronger.

Here are five points on how we can strengthen our core:

1.  The Little Things Count

Most of us don’t really notice how we walk, move or sit, because we treat these actions as small, daily and mundane. However, prolonged bad posture can contribute to spinal misalignment, muscle weakness and imbalance. In our life, we must not discount the impact that our small decisions have on our faith – the things we watch, the peers we hang out with, the decisions to prioritize one thing over another – all these have a cumulative effect on whether we are exercising our faith by considering God in all our decisions. In Proverbs 3:6, we are reminded to acknowledge God in “all our ways”. Similarly, in Luke 16:10, Jesus elaborates in the Parable of the Unjust Steward that “he who is faithful in little is also faithful in much.” If we only “save” our consideration for God in the big decisions – it is likely that the decisions we make on the big things will not truly be God-centered, due to the unfamiliarity of actually doing it.

2.  Daily Strengthening

As a mom of two energetic little boys, I don’t have as much time to exercise as I used to. However, there are certain exercises I have successfully managed to incorporate into my daily routine to specifically address my weak core (glute bridges, dead-bug and toe-taps, for those who are interested to know). My physiotherapist was quite stern with me and said “There is no such thing as no time to do. You have to make time because it is important.” Likewise, daily strengthening of our faith involves communion with God through prayer, meditation, and reflection on His Word. Strengthening our faith also means exercising our faith in showing the Christian graces and doing good to others. Our faith is like a muscle that needs to be exercised, else it will only get weak. God’s Word was not meant to be a literature text for us to analyze, but a life manual to put into practice. In James 2:17 and 26, we read that faith that is inactive, that fails to produce any works, is dead.

3.  Avoid Things That Strain Your Core

Certain movements, such as lifting a heavy object without proper technique could also strain our core. Surprisingly, overuse such as excessive high impact exercise could also cause tears and injury. Although our faith can be strengthened by trials, we must be careful not to “test” our faith through unwise decisions. In the example of Samson in Judges 16:16, his resolve to keep the secret of his strength was worn down by Delilah’s pestering. Had he realized that Delilah did not truly have his best interests at heart and left her, he might not have had to lose his strength through her deception.

Likewise, our faith can also be worn down by burdens that we carry. It may be in the form of physical illnesses, relationship issues, financial problems, or sin. During these times of prolonged strain, we may start to doubt God’s goodness or even blame Him for our troubles. The Bible has many verses reminding us about God being a refuge, a place of safety, a shelter from the storms of life. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus calls us to put down our burdens and go to Him for rest.

4.  Don’t Do It Alone

Building up an exercise habit, like any other habit, takes time. Having an exercise buddy does help keep the motivation going especially in days when you just don’t feel like doing it. My current buddy for my back exercises is my eldest son, who does his exercises beside me or reminds me when I forget. We also link the exercise to listening to a story on Spotify, a practice called habit-stacking or habit-anchoring to increase the “stickiness” of a habit.

Our walk as Christians was never meant to be a solo affair. We need our fellow brethren to encourage us (Hebrews 10:24-25), to help point out sin in our lives (Galatians 6:1-2) and to sharpen/grow our faith (Proverbs 27:17).  Having someone with whom we can authentically share our struggles in our faith and who will be able to encourage us to persevere is crucial in our success in finishing our Christian walk.

5.  Think of the End-goal

It is very tempting to skip the exercises when I’ve had a tiring day. However, I am motivated by the desire to keep up with my kids and carry them when needed. I also think about my wish to be an active grandmother for their kids, to help support my children in their children’s care in the future.

Similarly, as Christians, our faith can be strengthened by remembering our end-goal of Heaven. Amid the daily grind, thinking about Heaven may not be very intuitive unless you are working in healthcare (seeing death on a regular basis) or going through a health crisis. However, by intentional daily reflection and weekly corporate worship with the church, we can be reminded that we are but “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13).

May we all desire and work towards a stronger faith!