STRENGTHENING YOURSELF

February 23, 2024

1 Samuel 14:52
“Now there was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man, he took him for himself.”

In my last devotion, we looked at how King Saul harassed all the nations around him after he had established himself. Why? Because he knew that the only way to remain strong and relevant was to ensure he was constantly pushing back his enemies all around. And we learned that it’s important to always engage in spiritual battles, not wait for them to get to you first.

Today, we look at another aspect of this. How do you strengthen yourself to be able to continue doing this long-term? The answer is in carefully choosing with whom we relate. We are called to serve everyone and build up our communities without prejudice, but we must be selective in who we bring into our inner circle because they will determine our strength and capacity.

To be surrounded by spiritually weak people is not a winning strategy. To be surrounded by people who will constantly drain you will drain you. Serve the weak. Love the weak. But surround yourself with people who either have spiritual capacity or are hungry to grow capacity. To be surrounded by people who are unwilling to grow means that you will be unable to grow yourself. You will spend all your energy nurturing those who have chosen to be stagnant.

As we recognize that we are in a constant spiritual battle, constantly draining ourselves without having people around us with whom we can recharge, is a sure way to spiritual burnout and collapse. As we seek to grow in the Lord and grow in spiritual warfare, connect with those also seeking this growth and inner capacity. No one is perfect in himself, but some are growing.

Saul understood this principle. He was always on the lookout for strong and valiant men. He knew he needed to be surrounded by such people because he understood the reality of the world he lived in. He was willing to fight to defend the weak, but he didn’t need them in his inner circle. Because of this reality, he searched for valiant and strong people. That’s wisdom.

Likewise, we need to fight to protect the weak and support them, but not necessarily bring them into our inner circle. We need to always be on the lookout for people and resources that can build our spiritual capacity and resolve.

Always look for stronger brethren or growing pilgrims to deeply associate with. Draw from them. Connect with them. Sharpen yourself with them. By this, you will always be ready for the expected challenges that will come your way.

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