Exercise

You may or may not know, but I am a qualified fitness instructor.  I am working on a plan to start teaching classes here again, but as I have been thinking about physical fitness, I have been thinking about this verse

1 Timothy 4:8 (TPT)

For athletic training only benefits you for a short season, but righteousness brings lasting benefit in everything; for righteousness contains the promise of life, for time and eternity.

I've been doing a lot over lockdown, running, weights, Zumba and even a bootcamp!

We understand that in the natural, keeping physically fit don't just happen.  We have to exercise our bodies, lift weights, do some cardio and eat well.  

When it comes to spiritual things though, we seem to think that if we do nothing, or maybe go to church, or watch a bit of worship online, that will be sufficient to grow in our spiritual fitness, but that's not the case.  

In the verse above, Timothy says physical training is a little benefit but godliness (righteousness), or spiritual training is the way to go, because when we exercise our faith, we see and experience the promises for this life and for the next. 

Most Christians just don't train for a spiritual growth in the same way we would our bodies.  We need to become spiritual athletes.  When an athlete trains, it consumes their days.  They consider what they are eating, they train in the morning, the afternoon, the evening.  They maybe go for a run, and then hit the gym, and then swim... You get the picture.

We can 'train' spiritually too.  We need to be in the word often, reading and meditating on what we read; to make our diet praise, worship and prayer. 

In Hebrews we read:

Hebrews 5:14 (Passion Translation NT)

But solid food is for the mature, whose spiritual senses perceive heavenly matters. And they have been adequately trained by what they’ve experienced to emerge with understanding of the difference between what is truly excellent and what is evil and harmful.

Mature Christians, have experienced God in a consistent way and can see what is excellent and what is not from God at all. 

In the first verse (1 Tim 4:8) it says that righteousness contains the promise of life for now and forever. If we do not exercise ourselves spiritually we cannot know what is the good, perfect and acceptable will of God, neither can we see how we are righteous in Christ, if we don't know what the Word says about us. The word tells us that the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.  If we do not exercise ourselves spiritually, we won't know what's available to us in this life or the next and we will be spiritually unfit (not unfit for God, as he makes us acceptable and accepted in the Kingdom, but unable to enjoy all the benefits of relationship, and unable to do all that we are called to).

If we really want a depth of relationship, we have to exercise!   Today I want to encourage you that it's never too late to make changes in our daily routines to exercise ourselves spiritually - it's easier than starting a new exercise program, and more beneficial! The only equipment you need is your bible and your voice!  

If you want to go deeper in your walk with the Lord, you control that, not him.  All you need to do is start your training! 

Happy Saturday!