Sometimes life with Jesus looks like doing a plank, but instead of pressing the 1 min button, you pressed the 1h. And now the struggle to stand still feels like never ending. When you are in those seasons and processes that seems so hard to stand still and remain in him, giving up becomes more and more tempting by the second. Leaving the plank position will indeed alleviate the momentary pain, but it’s not worth it. The purpose of the plank is to strengthen your core. The same goes to those moments where it takes so much to just remain in God and not give up the process. He is strengthening our core. For our good. He is preparing us for what is to come, and shaping our character to his glory.
Whoever did at least a 1 min plank knows that thinking about the pain and the time left on the timer it’s not helpful. Instead, you should focus on something else, fill your mind with positive and motivational thoughts. Think about the burger you will eat afterwards, or sing a song to make the time goes by faster. The Word of God advices us to think about the heavenly things and set our eyes on the goal and reward that is Jesus and our eternal life with him. This is key to keep us steady during whatever uncorfortable process we are going through.
And if the shaking, the burning pain and discomfort is so big that you can not take it and ends up falling short, don’t just stay on the floor and take a nap. Put yourself up right back to the plank position and keep going. There is grace when we fall, but that shouldn’t be our stop point, neither our default. Unlike the strength that holds us to the plank position comes from our own muscles, what holds us and keep us in God, it’s the blood of Jesus, it’s his own strength. However, it does take our effort, but the source is not our own, it comes from his word, his power and his Spirit in us.
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