Being Strengthened Within

On one of the Two Foundations, Jesus said: “I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them.” ~Luke 6:47 (NRSV).

Certain portals in life we come to rely on. They give us strength and a song. From there we go out into our lives and live peaceably enough with ourselves to do what we need to do. We have enough for the day, or at least for the hour.

These portals are not necessarily the source of our spirituality—for instance, faith in Jesus Christ. They are instead where we go, by location or rationale or circumstance, to receive the moment’s strength.

The state of being, or having been, strengthened within, is the spiritual solidarity that only we, as individual persons, can define for ourselves.

A Study of Spiritual Solidarity

It would be no good if we were to be strengthened within via a dodgy portal resonating from an untrue source. That could only prove unsustainable.

There are many examples of things in this life that we place our trust in that provide little or no cogent strength. They might appear to strengthen us within, but really they weaken us—take, for instance, food or other substances, a reliance on others for our happiness, our work status or achievements, or our health, wealth or good looks. None of these may be relied upon, though we still ought to be thankful for them.

Precious few things provide spiritual solidarity—the inner strength within.

The ones that do, however, have the value of gold and beyond. Their worth is incalculable. Many people who detect the spiritual gap within search their whole lives and may still not find it. Spiritual solidarity may only be found at alignment with our feet as they plant on the welcome mat of truth.

Truth can be seen as a fascinating quality: it’s true over the process of time and in general terms with everybody. It’s consistently found true. It will ensure our spirituality has solidarity about it. Otherwise, there is no strength.

Truth and Foundations

Until now we’ve dealt with precious little regarding foundations—the cornerstone of life. Spiritual solidarity, and the fact of being strengthened within, both intimate and elucidate the fact—foundations ‘found’ our sound spiritual standing, but only in truth.

Jesus outlines the plainest truth about the two foundations: if we hear well, and we obey what we hear by doing it, we stand to be strengthened within. We will have spiritual solidarity as in a building with its own foundational solidarity.

Being strengthened within is our daily, hour by hour, objective. From here we go out into our world. We can serve God commensurate only with the strength that the Lord gives. That strength’s only currency is truth and we have strength simply for one day at a time.

© 2011 S. J. Wickham.