What is involved in the process of building muscle? And I don’t mean “what do you have to do to build muscle?” We know that requires weight training and discipline. What I mean is what is involved in the biological process of building muscle at the cellular level?
I’m not a biology professor (though one of my previous guests on the podcast is), nor am I medical professional (though I have talked with one). So, I did what most of us do and turned to “Dr. Google” to better explain:
- Lifting heavying things strains muscle fibers and creates “micro-damage” in muscle structure.
- This stress activates “satellite cells” – helper cells that send chemical messages saying “we need to get stronger.”
- As a result, the body builds new muscle proteins. When the rate of new protein creation exceeds the rate of breakdown, muscle fibers grow larger and thicker.
In short, building physical muscle requires doing hard things that will be painful at first, then will produce a new, better state of being.
Growing in our relationship with God, living as one of His children, is no different. It’s not as if we come a Christian and God uploads a new operating system that directs how are are to live our lives. We have to put in the effort:
His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And as we put in that effort, we are going to encounter circumstances designed to push us, to challenge our faith. We just have to remember the outcome of those challenges: maturity and wholeness. I leave you today with a prayer for our growth and the words of James 1:2-4:
Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
Leave a Reply