I have a stenosis in my lower back. This means that nerves get pinched and irritated to cause pain. It is not bad enough for surgery, so I have been doing therapy. The main point of physical therapy is to do nothing for my vertebrae but to stretch my muscles so that I strengthen certain muscles in my back and hips to help reduce my pain. Stretching muscles in the lower back and hips can help alleviate back pain by reducing muscle tension, improving flexibility, and promoting better spinal alignment. Tight muscles in these areas can pull on the spine and contribute to pain and discomfort. Stretching can counteract these effects, provide relief and improve overall mobility.  Let me be honest stretching some of these muscles make me sore, because they have not been used as much because of the pain I have had. But as they say no pain, no gain.

The Bible says, “above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). The word earnestly comes from a Geek word that was used of stretching a muscle to its absolute maximum. We are to love one another with an all-encompassing love that stretches as far as it can possibly go.  This may cause us to hurt a bit because we do not use that love muscle as much as we should. We love people who love us, and we love people who act in loving ways towards us and others, but as Peter says this kind of love covers a multitude of sins. This means we are loving people who have hurt us or wronged us. We should stretch our love as far as it can go to be reconciled with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

If you have not used this muscle in a while or you have only used it on people who treat you nice, when you start, it is going to hurt a little. But if you keep stretching your love as far as it can go, you will find that the soreness is gone and you have the ability to love even the unlovable. No pain, no gain.