Spiritual Calluses

by Heather Tietz

Yet the righteous will hold to his way. He who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.

Job 17:9

Clean hands have a lot of potentials 

Once the dirt is washed away, there is much that hands can do. Playing guitar is one option. Those clean hands will eventually be able to create incredible music. But that comes over time and after persevering through the pain. Strumming, picking strings, pressing down on frets, and barring chords hurts. Anyone who’s put the effort into learning guitar has the evidence on their fingers. They have calluses. Those little patches of thickened skin hurt as they develop. But they undoubtedly strengthen one’s playing. It’s those calluses that are behind virtuoso guitar music.

Keeping your hands clean, holding tight to your principles and living thoughtfully, grows our spirits and strengthens our characters. 

As we struggle in life, as we watch and learn from other’s tough experiences, we develop calluses too. We develop perseverance. We recognize that God has been faithful in the past and so we expect Him to be faithful again.

Instead of wilting under the first painful chord, or the second or the third, we hang in there, listening for the song we know our Master is playing.