-Strength-

A while ago I decided that I was going to do 100 burpees everyday for 100 days. Now, I only lasted 20 days (mostly because I pushed myself too hard and hurt myself. Plus it's hard to be motivated to exercise when it's so cold. Anyways.), but those 20 days taught me something.

Strength builds over time.

I tend to go through spurts of time where I convince myself to turn my life around and become a better person overall. I eat healthier, read books that supposedly make you a better human being, and make pitiful attempts at exercising.

These spurts never last, and I'm pretty sure they don't actually make me a better person.

*However*

When I kept up this exercising for more than just a day or two, I started to feel better. I started to feel stronger. I almost even sort of liked exercising. I was always exhausted, but I also felt accomplished and pretty soon I was actually able to do a push-up! That's kind of a huge deal for me.

All of those times that I tried and then gave up right away did next to nothing in terms of making me actually stronger. Persistence is what created strength. I had plenty of motivation also, but motivation itself isn't enough to keep going. Motivation is a good thing, but it doesn't always last. It comes and goes in waves. Persistence and motivation, when paired together, work to create strength.

I'm realizing more and more that this doesn't just apply to physical strength, but emotional and spiritual strength as well.

Feeling depressed isn't fun, but it works to help you grow as a person. Emotional battles aren't a sign of weakness, they're a way of building strength. Persistence and endurance form who you're supposed to be.

It's not always fun to read the Bible. It doesn't always seem like there's time to pray. However, those things are important for the growth of your faith. When I read something from the Bible, but I don't get a 'spiritual high' or -feel- anything, it doesn't mean that I'm not learning about God. Prayer is a way to communicate with God. When you're friends with someone, you tell them what's going on in your life. It's the same thing with God. The Holy Spirit works faith regardless of how often you talk to God or read His Word, but amazing things can happen when you stop pushing into the background of your life.

Just because I didn't keep up with my burpees doesn't mean that I completely lost my motivation for exercising. I still remember how it felt to know I was getting stronger. Seeing progress is so rewarding.

Persistence and endurance are crucial to strength.

It's vital to not give up.

Never give up.

It's so worth it.

:)