Recently my daughter asked me, “does pain make you stronger?” She had heard some version of the old saying, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” We had a great conversation about pain and challenge making your stronger, up to a point.
Like muscles. To get stronger, muscles must be used, pushed, exercised. But not too much. If you push too hard, the muscle is damaged and actually gets weaker. And, just doing the work out is not enough. The second step of rest and recovery is essential. It is the rhythm of right exercise with periods of recovery that builds strength. Right exercise is different for each person based on their own fitness and baseline.
When I hear the story of the crucifixion, when I imagine for a moment what it must have been like to suffer so terribly, I feel myself being crushed. The suffering would be too much. Crucifixion would damage me, not make me stronger. But Jesus starts from a very different place of spiritual fitness.
Resurrection for Jesus was not like dragging yourself out of bed on the Monday after the time change. Jesus defeated death and rose strong!!
In fact, Jesus is so strong that just by following him, we absorb some of that strength! Jesus shares that resurrection power with us. This Sunday on Easter, we’ll celebrate it!!
Peace,
Pastor Mia