A Work OUt For OUr Spirits

REFERENCE: 1 Timothy 4:8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

Observation: Paul here encourages Timothy to develop his spiritual life by comparing it to working out. There are some interesting parallels. For example, physical training is most useful if it is done regularly instead of periodically. It is the same with our spiritual life. We should be pursuing God daily, not just once in a while. If we want to be effective spiritually, there needs to be a real regularity to it.

Just as working out takes discipline and commitment, so it is with our spiritual disciplines. They will not just happen. We have to decide to read the Word, pray, fast, worship and serve even when it is difficult and we don’t feel like it. We have to schedule our lives to make it happen. We have to sacrifice other things we may want to do. If we don’t our spiritual life will simply waste away.

When we work out bodies the results take a time to show themselves. We don’t develop great new muscles overnight. In the same way, the results spiritually are like reaping and sowing. We will reap the benefits of spending time with God but reaping always comes in a different season than sowing and we have to be patient.

Finally, the latest research tells us that regular physical exercise is essential to living a healthy life. In the same way our spiritual disciplines keep us healthy spiritually, free from spiritual disease or disability.

Application/Confession: I feel a real need to pray and fast more. Obviously I am pretty disciplined in my reading and journaling from God’s Word and I do pray, I just want to do more. I know that there are blessings that can not be released without a passionate pursuit of God Himself in prayer.

PRAYER: Dear God, draw me in a passionate way to pursue You in prayer. I am not satisfied to settle for the level of blessing I see now in my life and especially in the church. I believe that You want to do so much more and You are waiting for me to become passionate in my prayerful pursuit of it. I want to see breakthrough at every dimension. Please give me the desire and power to go after it.