Minister Carmin A. Frederick
1 Timothy 4:7b-8

"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."

Godly Training 

I have always admired the physical training that athletes go through to obtain and maintain their physical bodies: basketball players who can jump, shoot, and move in ways that my body cannot imagine; golfers who can coordinate their physical bodies with their minds to analyze the physics of the wind, ball, and terrain on which they golf, such that they can get a small ball into a sometimes very distant hole; tennis players whose training gives them such agility and power that often captivate me. Their physical discipline is amazing I am convinced however that it is not physical training alone that makes great athletes great.

A truly great athlete has both physical training and godly training. God’s discipline and training is different than physical discipline. An athlete’s training of their physical body may allow them to win games for their team and to make a lot of money. But, godliness allows that same athlete not only to win games for their team and make a lot of money for their personal use, it allows them to create a loving family that glorifies God’s kingdom. It allows them to sow that same money into God’s kingdom for its up-building and rebuilding. Godliness training includes using our minds to study God’s word. Godliness training means using our bodies use as the temple that God created it to be and not abusing it with meaningless sex or unhealthy diets. Godliness training helps us to discipline our emotions so that we use our anger, sadness, love, and peace as thresholds to God-given power, instead of tools that revoke our empowerment. If we allow godliness to discipline us spiritually we can create an intimacy with God that surpasses the superficial intimacy, we attempt to create in our humanness.

The text tells us “that 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.” Godliness sometimes described as “spiritual training” has a far greater value than physical training alone. Why not give it a try?

Prayer 

Lord, help us to align our minds and our bodies according to Your will. Amen.

Thought for the day 

You may or may not have a personal trainer, but we all have a spiritual trainer.