A Spiritual Workout
On my personal blog, I have been chronicling my participation in the May Day Weight Loss Challenge. My participation has kept me accountable and humble – having to admit my struggles with weight loss. My husband and I have been consistently working out since January with a fairly strenuous workout plan.
Have I seen results? Yes, albeit very slowly. My pre-pregnancy clothes now fit. My size has shrunk. Physically I feel better. I have more energy. I am less prone to sickness. All this exercising consisting of running, walking and weight training, has definitely led to a healthier lifestyle and I am now closer to a healthy weight. You can say that my physical side is being well taken care of. As important as taking care of my physical self is, the spiritual side of me needs to be “exercised” daily too. 1 Timothy 4:8 says,
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promises for both the present life and the life to come.
The original Greek word for “physical” is Somatikos meaning “in bodily form.” Obviously, Paul is talking about the value of taking care of our physical bodies. Interestingly enough, the value in taking care of our physical bodies is realized only in this life. When we get to heaven, we will have new bodies. The care, or lack of, received while in this life will not matter. 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 says,
“So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power, it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.”
To the contrary, taking care of our spiritual development holds promises for both this life and our new life in heaven. God has promised us eternity with Him when we believe, repent of our sins, turn our lives completely over to Him and become a new creation. The New Testament Lexical Aids describe the word phrase “to come” in 1 Timothy 4:8 as, “to be about to do something, often implying the necessity and, therefore, the certainty of what is to take place.”
We can be certain our eternity is secured if we have become a new creation in Jesus. But we must grow spiritually while in this life. As members of God’s family, we can build our spiritual maturity with the consistent and thorough study of God’s holy word, sitting under sound doctrine, surrounding ourselves with godly friends, serving in our local church and many other ways. With all the false teachings and theologies that are infiltration today’s church, it is vitally important to move beyond the infancy stage and into spiritual maturity. The benefits will be in this life and the life to come. Ephesians 3:14 says,
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”
Taking care of my spiritual growth has to take priority over my physical growth. If I can take the time to work out physically, I can make the time in my day to work out spiritually as well.
Dear heavenly Father, Your love is amazing and I want to grow in Your word and grow in intimacy with you. Father, I pray that you will give me wisdom and knowledge to understand your word and to see Your will in my life. Give me a longing and hunger to spend time alone with you. Thank you for your amazing love.
Dana,
Taking care of my spiritual growth has to take priority over my physical growth. If I can take the time to work out physically, I can make the time in my day to work out spiritually as well.
If every Christian made this commitment what a differenct world it would be indeed. Great post.
You bless my heart.
This was so uplifting Dana. I wonder why it is so much easier to do everything else, but when it comes to the spiritual we tend to procrastinate and let things go. I know I have been guilty of that over and over again, but I am only strong when I have a consisitent relationship with the Lord.
Dana, this is so important—I’m so glad you wrote about this!
Blessings~