What is BETTER than PHYSICAL EXERCISES?
December
9 Bible Reading: 1 Timothy Chapters 4-6
What is BETTER than PHYSICAL EXERCISES?
"But reject profane and old wives'
fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for
all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to
come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.” (1 Tim 4:7-9)
In this passage,
Apostle Paul compares Christian service to an athletic regimen as he speaks of
doing exercises that has godliness as its end result. Instead of wasting time
on useless myths, we should exercise our minds, intellect and will power
towards attaining godliness. Such exercise involves reading and studying the
Bible, prayer, meditation, obeying God’s Word daily, fellowshipping with other
believers, and other acts of Christian service. Stock says, “There is no such thing as drifting into
godliness; the ‘stream of tendency’ is against us.” There must be exercise
and effort from our part!
Paul
compares two kinds of exercises: ‘physical
exercises’ and ‘exercises to attain
godliness’. Physical exercise has certain values for our bodies, but these
values are limited and of short duration. Godliness, on the other hand, is good
for our spirit, soul, and body, and is not only for our time on earth but for
eternity as well. Godliness yields the greatest joy in this life, and it holds
the promise of great rewards in eternity.
Let us
understand that discipline in godliness
affects both our present and future lives.
Let us put at least as much effort
into our spiritual lives as we do in our recreation and hobbies – this will
make such a great difference! Physical exercise is important, but spiritual
exercise is even more essential. Both
discipline and devotion are needed to make a winning athlete and an effective
Christian!
