S.O.S.

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

We are a community obsessed with physical training. Going for a run, to the gym, surfing or sport, we think exercise is the key to thriving under the pressures of the modern world. And as Paul says, there is some value to this. I personally find going onto the soccer field stress-relieving.

But Paul reminds us that physical training has a limitation to its value. It’s not that we should get rid of our exercise or sporting pursuits. It’s that we need to place an even higher value on training in godliness.

Why? Well, I think Paul’s reasoning is this. Godliness has eternal value. I think what he means is this: in eternity, as we enjoy the new creation, we won’t marvel at how God worked in us to run a half-marathon or score 20 goals in a season. But that time you served in the community team, turning up early (despite perfect beach weather) and staying late, now that is something that we will marvel at.

And Sundays is our #1 training session. It’s where we get together to be trained and to train each other in godliness. And like every training session I’ve ever experienced, you need to push yourself to go but are usually thankful you went. Physical training hurts. So does godliness training. But the benefits far outweigh the pain.

For Today:

• Do you enjoy physical training? Why do you do it?
• What is one godliness victory you have experienced?
• How could you train harder for godliness?

Pray: Praise the Father that He is God and perfect in every way. Give thanks for Jesus Christ who showed us perfect godliness and achieved the prize of eternal life. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others prioritise training in godliness.