Core Strength

Spiritual Skill: Joy (wk. 12/13)

Reading: John 15:5-17

Strength starts at the core. In the gym, every movement depends on core strength. Whether you’re stabilizing a barbell overhead or throwing down kettlebell swings, your ability to move weight efficiently comes from the power generated at your center. Coaches call this concept core to extremity – power starts at the core and radiates outward to the limbs. Without a strong core, your arms and legs can’t perform at their best. It’s not just crunches or planks that build core strength; it’s how your entire body works together under load. The heavier the load, the more critical the core becomes. Without it, you’re unstable, off balance, and unable to move efficiently. Your core makes all the difference.

The same is true in our spiritual lives. Think of life’s challenges, opportunities, and relationships as the extremities. Your job, your family, your health, your finances – these are the places where life shows up and demands strength. When your spiritual core is weak, the pressure of those demands can crush you. But when your core is strong, there’s a steadiness and power that shows up in how you handle life’s extremes. That spiritual core strength comes from joy. Jesus says in John 15:11, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” His joy is the source of strength, radiating outward into every aspect of our lives. 

In fitness, strength isn’t just about big lifts or PRs; it’s about stability and control under pressure. Joy works the same way. It’s not about walking around with a smile plastered on your face or pretending everything’s fine. Joy is the evidence of God’s work inside you – a deep, steady strength that shows up when life feels heavy. Think about an athlete grinding through a brutal workout. Their core keeps them upright, helps them brace under the load, and gives them the stability to push through. That’s what God’s joy achieves in us. It stabilizes us when life gets hard. It braces us when we feel like we’re about to collapse. It gives us the strength to move forward, one rep at a time.

But here’s the catch. Just like in the gym, you can’t fake a strong core. You must train it. In John 15, Jesus says that joy comes from abiding in Him, staying connected to the vine like branches on a tree. The connection to Jesus is what fuels our joy and gives us the power to bear fruit. It’s like building core strength through good reps and progressive overload. The more you lean into your relationship with Jesus, the stronger your core becomes, and the more joy radiates into the extremities of your life. That joy is what allows you to love when it’s hard, forgive when it’s undeserved, and keep going when everything in you wants to quit. God’s joy doesn’t just sit in the background. It actively fuels how you show up in the world, whether you’re navigating a tough relationship, grinding through work stress, or dealing with uncertainty.

So, how do you train for joy? Just like in fitness, start with the basics. Gratitude is like a warm-up, shifting your perspective to what’s good in your life. Time in God’s Word is like skill work, reinforcing the truth that joy comes from who Jesus is, not from what’s happening around you. And choosing joy in the tough moments is your metcon – it’s where the grind happens, where the reps matter most. When life throws something heavy at you, joy gives you the stability to handle it and the strength to respond. The next time life presses in on you, think about core to extremity. When your spiritual core is strong, God’s joy radiates outward, transforming not just how you handle life’s challenges but how you live every moment. Train for joy, and let the evidence of God’s work in you shine in every rep.

Questions for Reflection:

What loads in life cause you to struggle to have joy?

How would you describe the strength of your spiritual core?

How do you train for joy?