Inner Strength Part 6
May 10, 2026
Inner Strength Part 6
Strength is essential for the spiritual life. This includes physical endurance as well as mental and emotional strength. But the most profound is the strength of the soul.
Physical endurance may be increased by placing the body under greater strain than usual. Muscles then increase in size and capacity to meet the challenge. Every emotional strain calls the heart to increase its capacity to hold, process, and express emotion.
The same occurs with our mind. If it improves its capacity to problem-solve, to envision and create plans, to make ideas come true, and to conceptualize and express itself, its overall functioning is vastly expanded.
The soul expands in many ways; its deepest desire is union with God and in achieving this, being in the likeness of the Creator. It moves closer to union every time we choose soulality over egocentricity—every time we love instead of withholding, each time we fight against instead of responding non-violently. Life is full of decisions for love vs non-love every day, every hour… every minute. Every choice, when made consciously, is leverage for increased soul capacity… the progression of the soul into its Holy Origin.
We may think that the soul grows only when faced with large decisions and life-changing crises. But this is not the full truth. We grow our soul’s strength, not only in large things, but with every thought we choose to think, in every emotion we entertain, and in every physical or verbal response.
Bathing ourselves in God’s healing light through our spiritual practices strengthens our spiritual immune system. Those things that would have negatively affected us now bounce off like ping-pong balls. Of course, as humans, we can err at any time. But when we fall short of the standards of our higher self, we can quickly recover if we are conscious of our error. Here is the thing: errors that we are unaware of are the most lethal. But when we nurture our spiritual sensitivity by regularly being held in the presence of the Divine, our spiritual immune system is always boosted.
Our meditations, prayers, contemplation, spiritual direction, and many other spiritual practices directly connect us to the energy our soul yearns for. With these powerful practices, our soul is foremost in our minds, and our choices, whether in large crises or momentary preferences, tend to align with it.
Yesterday, someone was talking about a subject I know little about. In the huge scheme of things, this was a small encounter, but a memorable one for me. The person gave great examples, and their information was fascinating. Though I knew precious little about what they were speaking about, I felt a need to comment. Then I realized that the comment would have served no one and no purpose other than to please my ego’s need to state an opinion. With this realization, I pulled back and just continued listening. Without this realization, I would have fallen into the self-made trap of putting my two cents worth in the conversation, even if they were not worth two cents.
But so many times, I have not pulled back, and the ego has had its way; as a result, I became further entrenched in the ego’s agenda. Luckily, each time we realize the source of our behavior, we have a choice about it. Each time we practice our spiritual practice, our sensitivity to our soul increases. Every time we choose in favor of our soul, it grows. With every growth of our soul, we live more in the image of our Creator. In the image of our Creator, we have Divine Union and infinite strength.
Spiritual practice and self-inquiry: How would you describe your choices toward egocentricity vs. soulfulness?
Prayer:
Dear God, In every moment, I pray for more awareness. Amen
