HOW BIG IS YOUR LOVE MUSCLE?
Ok….not that one (gotcha!). No guys, I’m talking about your other love muscle….your heart! Are you still reading? Sure, your gal appreciates your hot bod and the hours you spend sweating…at the gym! But, want to really turn her on….try building your spiritual muscle, that is, your heart!
So, go on, put your dumbbells down and lift your love life to that new plateau….to the hot, heavenly realm. Trust me gents, your six pack is hot and if you add a serving of your spiritual self….mmm mmm good!
Take a bit of advice from a formerly single psychologist who dated enough hollow hard bodies to last an eternity. You’ve got to have a hot heart to match your hot bod because handsome is as handsome does and what handsome does means the most to a godly woman!
I do warn you in advance, this workout is not for relationship lightweights. You’ve got to genuinely want to be a lover like the great trainer in heaven or don’t even bother reading further. No, I write for those of you who are, or who aspire to become, relationship heavyweights. Keep in mind as you read that the key to any good physical workout is putting out maximum effort for maximum benefit.
The same applies in training your spiritual heart for greater love. So let’s go….
Step 1: TELL HER! – Let your gal know that you’ve decided the most important muscle you can develop is the one she can’t even see, but she’ll recognize the most as you exercise it more and more! (promise…..rewards will follow…)
Step 2: WORK IT EVERY DAY – Avoid muscle atrophy by working it every day. Make an effort each day to look for ways to express your heartfelt love and appreciation for her. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time, effort or money. Pour her coffee and deliver it in bed, turn on the shower for her and leave her a love message on the steamy mirror, come home early one night and start dinner so she doesn’t have to, you get the idea. Of course, if you really want to wow her, go way out and surprise her with something big once in awhile, isn’t that what life is all about? The point is, don’t be a one-hit wonder; your love muscle (and hers) will grow much stronger with daily exercise. Pretty soon, it’ll just become a habit….. naturally.
Step 3: GET THE BEST TRAINER – Start each workout with warm-up “advice” from the chief trainer – Jesus Christ. He knows exactly what you and your gal are facing and how best to bless you through every circumstance. Why not start by centering your mind and your energy where you’ll reap the most benefit, in scripture. Pray and read scripture daily even if only for a few minutes each morning. It will get your workout off to the best start and then later you can share that positive, loving thought with your significant other. There is no better way to show her she’s your treasure than sharing the love of Jesus with her each day.
Step 4: HAVE PATIENCE – Don’t expect instant results. Muscles take time to build and some days you’ll do better than others. No worries, as long as you make the effort, she’ll give you an A+ even if you miss the mark sometimes. She’ll see your overall effort, plus your commitment to the plan and appreciation will follow!
Step 5: FINE-TUNE IT – Find out what works best for you and your special someone. You know, different strokes for different folks! The key to the program is to realize some techniques are more effective than others at building muscle mass. Find out what’s important to her. Listen, observe, ask, pray about it and do try again if at first you don’t succeed. It doesn’t take much more than the 3.5 pounds or so you carry around in your head to figure out the words/actions that cause her love muscle to respond!
Step 6: ALLOW REST, RECOVERY AND DOWN TIME – You don’t work all of your other muscles 24×7, so quit being overwhelmed thinking you need to work your love muscle out that way. Even the trainer in the sky rested between miracles and withdrew for quiet time so He’d have more to give. Your heart muscle will be stronger if you allow some you (and the guys) time too. Besides, with all the other aspects of your love muscle workout in place, you’ll have lots of “credit” in your “you time” account!
Step 7: FUEL UP! – Garbage in, garbage out. Your other muscles need a careful mix of the right ingredients (carbs, proteins, minerals, vitamins, etc) for maximum fuel-burning efficiency. Well, your love muscle needs proper nourishment too. Go to the spiritual supermarket and fill your cart with your favorite verses from scripture, quiet prayers and mantras you can tuck in your mind to fuel your heart. Hang out with other spiritual guys who have similar workout values. Most importantly, stay connected to the trainer in the sky by reading His workout manual daily. After you throw down, lift yourself and your gal up in prayer. You will be amazed how much your whole life will be amped up as you fuel up on His nourishment.
Step 8: CHOOSE IT – It takes a conscious choice. Look, most everyone wants to be fit/look good, but ya gotta go to the gym! Just sitting there thinking about it or putting it off until tomorrow gives you no benefit today. Each day you choose it; you and your relationship grow stronger. Truly, the key to succeeding at this whole new healthy heart workout (not to mention receiving the benefits) is this: you’ve got to choose it or lose it!
Step 9: SOMETIMES, NO PAIN, NO GAIN – Oh yeah, expect it. Some days you just won’t feel like making the effort, it seems like too much work or you’re just plain exhausted. Expect this, but don’t succumb to it. Stay focused on the goal not the effort required getting to the goal. Don’t quit on the days you are discouraged or your efforts don’t seem to be appreciated. You’re going to skip the workouts sometimes, take short cuts. It’s going to feel like hard work some days and you will likely not see the instant results you hope for, but much of that depends on how much effort you put into it. Do also remember, that sometimes you’ve got to listen to your muscles when they tell you “that hurts”, “stop”. You’ll know and then, when it’s recovered (see steps 5 and 6) start again. The trainer in the sky rewards persistence.
Step 10: GO, GET STARTED – Don’t delay. Start today, you’ll be so thankful you did. Try it, you’ll like it….and so will she! Reach out, work out…and remember, don’t expect a hot heart instantly. It takes time, commitment and effort. But, the two most important relationships of your life will dramatically improve and the results will be, well, heavenly!
