INNER STRENGTH
(WITH/WITHOUT INNER STRENGTH )
Before I start, I will like to bring our minds to the keywords of today's reflection, "Inner Strength."
INNER: relating to things inside. Things within; things that exist but are not easily perceived.
STRENGTH: The quality or degree of being strong. Strength can be either physically or spiritually strong enough to carry out a given task. It can be financially or academically, etc.
There are different kinds of strength in existence but our main focus will be on the inner strength which exists but is not easily perceived
WHAT IS INNER STRENGTH
Inner strength is the possession of will-power, self-discipline, staying power, resilience, perseverance, tenacity, and fortitude to express itself as assertiveness and courage thereby gaining the ability to withstand difficulties and obstacles of life because it is like a powerful engine that drives you forward, towards accomplishments and achievement. It may also be classified or described as the major source of a man's power since its major and direct source of empowerment is the Creator himself who is the potter. It is said that a gun cannot kill a man unless the human hand is attached to it. The human hand in this proverb poses as the inner strength of the gun. So it can be said that the inner strength is the propeller/force that controls the physical strength since even the scripture says that the spirit should be in control of the physical. (Cf. Gal 5:16).
HOW TO BUILD OUR INNER STRENGTH
Developing our inner strength requires that we train our willpower and self-discipline as we don't need extraordinary power to gain inner strength but our daily effort. So these are some steps needed in building our inner strength:
1. Refuse to welcome unimportant or unhealthy thoughts and desires as they distract you from creative ideas.
2. Keep to your words.
3. Curb your desire to criticize others.
4. Be self-aware. by this I mean you should be at home with your feelings to enable you to know what, when, why, and how it affects your life.
5. Focus on your strength, passion, and talents, especially in difficult moments.
6. Surround yourself with people who treat you well and have positive attitudes towards your goal.
7. Take good care of yourself. A good diet, enough sleep, and exercise can be of great help, for relaxation of the body is inextricably linked to the relaxation of the mind. Thus, The Catechism of the Catholic Church encourages “appropriate relaxation of mind and body” for if God “rested and was refreshed” on the seventh day, man too ought to “rest” (Cf. CCC 2185 and 2172).
8. Try as much as you can to maintain inner quietness, for, Isaiah tells us that our salvation lies in conversion and calmness, our strength in quietness and truth. (See Isa 30:15).
9. Most importantly, pray for grace as it does not require just your effort but also God's divine assistance. In fact, speaking in regard to contemplative prayer, The Catechism of the Catholic Church asserts that in prayer, “the Father strengthens our inner being with power through his Spirit”. (CCC 2714).
NOTE: In building our inner strength we ought to focus more on the following aspects of our inner resources
1. Capabilities: like mindfulness, emotional intelligence, resilience;
2. Positive emotions: such as gratitude, love, self-compassion;
3. Attitudes: like openness, confidence, determination;
4. Somatic inclinations: like relaxation, grit, helpfulness); and
5. Virtues: like generosity, courage, wisdom.
BENEFITS OF INNER STRENGTH
Inner strength enhances your self- esteem and self-control
It gives you a sense of peace and meaning
It helps us to pray well
It helps us realize our self-worth
It gives us sense of belonging in the society
WITHOUT INNER STRENGTH
Accordingly, without inner strength means lack/unavailability of the propeller/force to do anything. Then how lively is a person without it? Just as a car can't move without its engine and fuel So also, the absence of the inner strength in a man or a person is as good as the absence of life.
HOW CAN IT BE LOST?
First things first, can this inner strength be lost? YES. If it can be lost, it then brings us to the head topic and most crucial question of HOW CAN IT BE?
The general cause of losing something is CARELESSNESS and that is a great disaster.
-IGNORANCE: If this wasn't an important factor, it wouldn't be a cause/reason for people to perish (Hosea 4:6). One who does not know what he or she has can easily lose it because anything abandoned to disuse easily atrophies or become useless.
-PRIDE: A wise man once said, "Never look down on someone or else you are admiring their shoes*. Pride kills. Thus, St. Paul advises that if anyone must boast, let it be in Christ Jesus.
-PEER GROUP INFLUENCE: It is a fact that we all have different characteristics and the desire to fit in and belong can cause one to lose their inner strength.
-LACK OF GUIDE: No man is an island and no one knows it all. So, there should be that one person in the life of everybody who can correct and direct their lives to avoid mistakes.
-LACK OF WISDOM: Thus, the book of Proverb admonishes that in all our getting, we should get wisdom.
HOW TO MAINTAIN IT
Didn’t St. Paul admonish Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God which is in him? (Cf. 2Tim 1:6). So too, it is not just enough to cultivate this inner strength only, you should maintain and keep it alive to enable it to sustain you always. Hence, below are some ways we can maintain it.
Be Consistence in trying even when you fail
Be prayerful
Remain yourself how unique you are in your talents and giftedness
Speak less and listen more so as to learn from those who know better
Be self-confident
Be self-conscious
THE EFFECT OF LOSING INNER STRENGTH
This effect will point towards spiritual, physical and every other aspects of life. Like I rightly pointed out, the inner strength is paramount to any being and as such, the effects of its lost are terrible:
-DEPRECIATION/STUNT GROWTH: When the inner strength of a man which is the propeller of a human being is lost, there is no possibility of growing. With stunted growth depreciation sets in depreciation because in life, you are either going up or coming down.
-LAZINESS: When there is no fuel in any machine, it can't be functional and such is applicable in the life of a man who has lost their inner strength.
-LOSS OF RESPECT: Yes, no one respects anyone who has nothing to offer.
-DISGRACE:-The inner strength is the force that moves man. So its loss can reduce the man to wheelbarrow which won't move or
else forced.
-Frustration and Death as the end point.
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