Years ago, Merv Griffin had a bodybuilder on his show. During the interview, Merv asked him, “Why do you develop those particular muscles?” The bodybuilder simply stepped forward and flexed his well-defined muscles as “oohs” and “aahs” emanated from the crowd.

Unsatisfied with the response, Merv asked again, “What I’m asking is… what do you use those muscles for?” The bodybuilder sat with a confused look on his face. He didn’t have any answer except that he built his muscles in order to display them to others.

Sadly, many churchgoers today are a lot like that. They faithfully attend every Sunday, will often read their Bibles during the week, and get involved in ministry for the main reason of displaying their ‘spiritual muscles’ to others in order to impress. Their spiritual life is little more than a display designed to get “oohs” and “aahs” from others.

But the truth is that spiritual growth does have a purpose. Church, Bible study, and ministry are meant to strengthen our ability to serve Christ. So instead of building your spiritual muscles for show, do it to prepare yourself to advance God’s agenda and make an even greater impact for His Kingdom!

Prayer Challenge:
Pray that God would help you build up your spiritual muscles not to be seen by others, but to serve Him more effectively.

Questions for Thought:
Think of a time when you found yourself flexing your ‘spiritual muscles’ to be seen by others. What were your motives?

How might your life look differently if you devoted yourself wholeheartedly to increasing your Kingdom impact?