Growing Against Resistance

I heard something interesting during my church’s service this past weekend, and it left me thinking about how I can apply it to many things in my life. The pastor shared a story about working out and building muscle to growing after difficult times. While at first, it seemed odd to compare both scenarios, I later understood the connection he made for us to see the deeper meaning behind them both.

The story followed as such: when we first begin to weight lift – if we do lol – we begin with small weights. We can start with just five or ten pounds at first, but we must deal with the muscle pain later on. Of course, the pain slowly fades away as you rest for a day or two. And after a certain amount of time, you begin to increase the weight of your weights since you no longer feel the same resistance you felt when you first started. The word resistance is key in this story so don’t forget it. Well, as you make this change, your body does the same thing. The muscles that felt that resistance when you first started lifting got torn while you worked out, but they later grew even more as the muscle fibers regenerated in your body. Isn’t that amazing? Who said humans weren’t interesting!

Just like our muscles grow after they get torn during weightlifting, the same can be said about us. As you go through difficult times during the school year or in life in general, keep in mind this story. The resistance that comes within the problems we face is there for a reason. It is there for us to grow. Believe me, growing is good for you. Growing is not just something physical. It can happen to you mentally, psychologically, or spiritually. Any way you grow, you will learn and reflect on the past. Eventually, you will notice that your opinions change as well as your perspective, and it is often for the good. So I share this message because I believe that we all need to feel some sort of reassurance when going through tough times. This can certainly help us feel more secure and hopeful throughout these last months of the semester.

Remain aware of the resistance you may be feeling as a result of stress, family issues, friendships, self-doubt, and anything that makes you feel out of your regular comfort zone. But also know that those things will pass and that you will have grown and become much stronger after the waters have calmed down.