We all have limits to our human strength. In our weakness, God can show Himself strong.

Eat right, exercise and get plenty of rest

We need four types of strength to be effective leaders: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Strength is defined as the state of being strong or powerful. It is the ability to resist strain and stress.

The standard Jesus uses for the way you love others is the way you love yourself. Therefore, in commanding you to love others, Jesus commands you to love yourself.

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39

Therefore, take care of yourself and develop your strength so that you, in turn, can also take care of others.

The formula for strength

To grow strong you need to Eat Right, Exercise, and Get Plenty of Rest.  You can apply this simple formula in each area of strength.

Physical:

Eat right - Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and watch your fat intake.

Exercise - Move your body through aerobics, stretching and strength training.

Get plenty of rest - Get enough sleep and take a day off work each week. Even God rested on the 7^th day!

Intellectual:

Eat right - Take in the right kind of mental food. Never stop learning.

Exercise - Build mental endurance. Engage in some type of concentrated though for extended periods of time. Push yourself 10 or 15 minutes past your comfort zone each time.

Get plenty of rest - Develop other interests and hobbies to divert your attention from work. Don’t just go somewhere else and think about work. Go somewhere else and think about something else.

Emotional:

Eat right - Take in new information about dealing with and learning to love people from the Bible and other trusted sources.

Exercise - Develop quality relationships. Apply what you’ve learned.

Get plenty of rest - Spend time alone. Spend time with the Lord.

Spiritual:

Eat right - Fill up on God’s Word as revealed to us in the Bible.  Read the Bible and pray daily.

Exercise - Exercise your faith. Trust God and obey Him.

Get plenty of rest - Rest in the Lord’s faithfulness and sovereignty. We learn to rest in God by trusting and obeying Him.

Reaching our limits

Physical, intellectual and emotional strength need to be tempered. That temperance is meekness – great power under complete control. Jesus was the ultimate example of great power under complete control.  You become meek by developing spiritual strength.

We all have limits to our human strength. In our weakness, God can show Himself strong.

“And He [God] has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weakness, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” 1 Corinthians 12:9