There was a time in my life when I was disciplined to run and stay in
shape, although it was mostly so I could play sports. Now that I am older I
have found it harder and harder to make myself exercise. I’m glad that Paul
didn’t put a premium on bodily exercise. In I Timothy 4:7-8 Paul says to
“exercise thyself unto godliness. For bodily exercise profits little, but
godliness is profitable for all things.”
Like the runner who has to work at conditioning his
body, so the child of God has to work at godliness because it is unnatural to
our flesh. We have to condition ourselves to read God’s Word, spend time with
Him, and obey Him.
I once had a basketball coach who wanted us to be the
best conditioned team in the league, and in my opinion, we were. In one contest
the game was on the line, and in the final minutes the player guarding me was
tired and gasping for air when I still had energy. That conditioning was paying
off when I needed it to. There will come a time in your spiritual walk when
your conditioning will pay off—in temptation, in witnessing, etc—but only if
you are in shape.
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