“Dear God, please make me stronger.” I think that’s probably the #1 prayer for a lot of people. I’ve certainly said it. Maybe you have too.

Stronger to do what we need to do.
Or to deal with health problems.
Or stress at work.
Or a family issue.
Or challenging friends.
Or to follow Jesus.
Or to be the right kind of parent.
Or to choose the direction to take or decision to make.

Being stronger would be awesome. So how do you do it?

You get consistent.

Too often we’re reactive instead of being proactive about our spiritual depth. We reach out to God, pray, read the Bible, and go to church when we feel desperate or when things aren’t going our way. I’m not saying that’s wrong. But if we’re only reactive–and not proactive–we’re severely limiting our potential for strength.

Strong people are consistent—not casual—about their spiritual depth. 

I like the word “depth” because it makes you think of roots. When you make a regular effort to worship, pray, read the Bible, and get together with other Christians, your root structure grows deeper and deeper. The result is a stronger you standing above the ground—withstanding the winds that blow.

When Paul says to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10) and tells the Ephesians to put on the armour of God, he’s not casting a metaphor about licking lollipops and going for a stroll. He’s talking about battle. Every day.

Do you want to be stronger? Me too. It’s a battle, folks. So treat it like one.

Strong people are consistent—not casual—about their spiritual depth. 

By Matthew Ruttan

• Today’s “Up!” is based on my Sunday message which was Part 1 in a new series called “Stronger – 3 Keys To What Everyone Wants To Be But Few Achieve.” You can listen to the 22 minute podcast called “The Right Thing Not The Easy Thing” here. Enjoy!