Good Morning Friends,
“Have nothing to do with godless myths and
old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is
of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both
the present life and the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7-8)
America is dotted with fitness centers. Fitness
equipment brings in a lot of sales. Fitness equipment can be found in specialty
stores, department stores, and garage sales. Americans will spend over three
billion on fitness equipment this year. Gym memberships will bring in over
nineteen billion dollars this year. Walkers and joggers and bikers can be seen
around town at almost any hour. Fitness is “in,” especially in Oregon. People want
to take care of their bodies. And Paul says that is a valuable thing to do. However,
its value is limited. It only helps for a few years. We all will age and grow
weak no matter how much time and money we put into staying fit.
Godliness, on the other hand, has greater
value and longer-term value. It doesn’t just keep your body fit, it keeps your
whole life fit. It doesn’t just last the few years of this life on earth, its value
extends into eternity.
Yet it seems that there is a much greater
emphasis on physical fitness than there is on godliness. Perhaps that’s because
it’s easier to measure. Perhaps it’s because you can easily see the results of
your fitness training in just a few weeks. Perhaps it’s because the people of
our world have such limited vision, most of them seeing only what helps in this
life!
The Bible is not saying that we shouldn’t
work on our physical fitness. It’s a good idea and a biblical idea to take care
of the body that God gave us. But there is another fitness that is even more
valuable -- the fitness of your spirit -- godliness. Be sure you give time and
effort to working on that, too!!!
His, by Grace,
Steve
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