The Spiritual Gym

A little over a year ago, a young woman from our church asked me if I would be her mentor. She was 21 years old, a schoolteacher, and I’ll admit, I wasn’t quite sure what being a “mentor” was supposed to look like. I had never done anything like that before.

So, I was honest with her. I told her I didn’t have any experience with mentoring, but I would be honored to meet with her regularly and talk about life and faith. And that’s what we’ve been doing ever since.

Most of the time, she comes to my house, and we simply sit and talk. We share what’s happening in our lives, things we’re struggling with, lessons we’re learning, and ways we see God working. Sometimes we laugh. Sometimes the conversations are more serious. And we always try to point each other back toward Him.

The other day, I was having my quiet time before she arrived. I was praying for her and asking God to bless the time we were about to spend together when a picture suddenly came to mind. Strangely enough, it was a gym.

At first, it seemed like an odd thought. But almost immediately, I understood. When we go to a gym, we go there intentionally. We lift weights to make our muscles stronger. We do cardio to build endurance. We stretch to stay flexible. And none of it happens after one visit. Strength develops because we keep showing up and doing the work.

I realized that our time together has become something like a spiritual gym. We show up. We exercise our faith. We talk through the heavy things we’re carrying. We encourage one another when one of us feels tired. We challenge each other to keep growing. And little by little, God uses those conversations to strengthen us.

What struck me most was that I had originally thought of myself as her mentor. Yet over this past year, I’ve realized that strengthening doesn’t flow in only one direction. She encourages me, too.

Her questions make me think more deeply. Her faith reminds me of things I sometimes need to hear again. Her perspective as a young woman just beginning her adult life is different from mine after nearly six decades of living—and there is something beautiful about what God can do when those different seasons of life meet.

Maybe that’s one reason Scripture tells us, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” — Proverbs 27:17

We weren’t meant to build spiritual strength all by ourselves. We need people who will pray with us, encourage us, challenge us, and remind us of truth when our own spiritual muscles feel tired. And sometimes the person God uses to strengthen us may be someone we thought we were supposed to be helping.

That morning, before she ever walked through my door, God helped me see our little visits differently. My house and front porch have become a sort of spiritual gym. No treadmills. No dumbbells. No membership fees.

Just two women in very different seasons of life, showing up regularly, opening our hearts, talking about God, and helping each other grow a little stronger. And I think that’s a pretty beautiful workout.

October 7, 2026 Morning Brew