There has been a common theme weaving through my thoughts for several days.  I’ve been in physical therapy for a strained muscle and as I learn new stretching exercises I keep hearing my therapist say, “Move from your core.”  Even when playing on our son’s WII it told us to stand from our core.  What is our core spiritually speaking?  I believe we are made up of Body, Soul and Spirit.  The spirit is who we really are in the innermost part of our being.  I Thes. 5:23 tells us, “May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The ONE who calls you is faithful and HE WILL DO IT.”

Do you know who you are in your spirit?  This is where Jesus resides if you are a believer.  I Cor. 6:17 tells us, “But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.”  Therefore, whatever is true of Jesus is true of you!  You ARE loving, holy, righteous, patient, forgiving, acceptable, adequate, blameless, secure, significant etc.  This did not come from yourself but from the Lord.  Phil. 3:9 tells us, “that I may be found in HIM, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”  Romans 8 speaks often of Christ living IN us.  I believe living out of our core is to live out of our spirit.  Our spirit determines our identity and we can’t have two identities.  Listen to Col.3:13, “For (the old) you has died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”

Now the spirit is not the only part we have to interact with.  We have a soul (personality, mind, will and emotions) and a body.  I don’t want to live out of emotions or thoughts.  I want to live from my CORE so that I can experience the fulfilling life God intended for me.  Does that mean I need to muster up enough strength to BE loving, forgiving, blameless etc.  Look at Phil. 2:13 which says, ” For it is God who works in you to WILL and to ACT in order to fulfill HIS purpose.”  God enters into my spirit and gives me a new identity.  HE then gives me the desire and the strength to act accordingly with who I really am!  Will I choose to live out of who I truly am on a daily basis?

Have you been convinced?  Truth is what God says, regardless of what I think, feel or how I behave.  Listen to Col. 3:1 – “Since you have been raised with Christ (died Romans 6:6, buried Romans 6:4 and raised Eph.2:6) set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

So how do we live from our core?  According to Ephesians 3:16 we can be strengthened in our inner being. Paul says, “I pray that out of his glorious riches HE may strengthen you with power through HIS Spirit IN YOUR INNER BEING…”  Romans 12:1 & 2 tells us to not be conformed to this world but to renew our mind with truth through God’s word.  Lies are coming at us from every angle as we walk through life.  We need reminders to reject the lies and stand from our core We don’t need to try harder through self discipline.  We need to allow God to strengthen those core muscles through focusing on the truth of who we are from HIS word and then choosing to act accordingly.  And you know what?  Physically speaking I need to strengthen my core muscles every day so that I don’t experience pain.  Spiritually speaking I believe I also need to set my mind on truth every single day so that God is strengthening my inner being!  Do you need some spiritual therapy today?  I know a GREAT therapist!