This spaghetti-armed girl joined the Army (of God)
By Jessica Brodie
For the last few years, I’ve slowly started weight-training. Keep in mind that I’m a long-time cardio girl with spaghetti arms, so even after all this time, my maximum weight for arm curls is twelve pounds (fifteen if I’m really pushing it).
Still, it’s felt good to be physically strong-ish for the first time in my life. I feel capable and ready to be all I can be, willing and able to help.
Of course, more important than my physical strength training is the spiritual and mental strength training I also do daily. From prayer, holy obedience, and Bible-reading to a new striving to keep God as my focus throughout the day, my faith muscles are getting bigger along with my biceps.
One of my newest favorite Scriptures is from the apostle Paul’s letter to the early Christians in Ephesians 6:13-17: “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (NIV).
That’s some powerful stuff—a real call to arms!
I used to pray daily that God use me as His instrument, but now I’ve gone a step further: I’ve enlisted myself in His holy army. With love, faith, hope, grace, and truth, I’m fighting the ever-present battle of Good versus Evil.
Join me. You don’t need big muscles or a perfect past. You don’t need a fit and active body. You just need a willing heart and a commitment to the Lord.
Jessica Brodie is a Christian author, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach. Read more of her blogs here, or check out her bio and fiction and journalism work here.