Daily Power #197

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. (Ps. 31:24)

Working out has always been fun for me. Setting goals helps me feel like I’m making progress. If I’m improving in one area of life, it makes me feel like I can improve in others.

One rare time Amy came on a workout with me. For some reason, I thought I’d impress her with my growing strength. (Truthfully, she doesn’t care at all about my muscles, but I like to pretend she does).

Prepping to dazzle her with my strength, I put more weight on the bar than normal, thinking my record-breaking set would wow her into cheers and kisses. Lying on the bench, I carefully gripped the bar, placing my hands in the precise spot. I inhaled deeply, paused for dramatic effect, exhaled deeply, then lifted the bar off the rack.

One . . . the first rep was easy. Two . . . still easy. Three . . . Four . . . Five . . . It started to get more difficult. Undeterred, I pressed on. Six . . . Seven . . . Eight . . . Now it was dangerously difficult. Nine . . . This should have been my last rep. But I told myself one more would knock her socks off. And that’s when the bar—boom! collapsed on my chest. Trying to impress my wife, I had pushed too far.

Sometimes we overestimate what we can do. We try to carry more than we are designed to carry. That’s why every step of the way, we need a strength greater than our own.

God’s power is greater than your own. Tap into his strength today.

Power Lift

I sometimes take on too much, Lord, rushing in to impress others instead of waiting on you to guide and direct me. Today I will rely on your strength instead of my own.