A BIBLICAL EXERCISE PLAN
1 Timothy 4:7-8, 12 NKJV
7 But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. 8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
If you go on YouTube and look up exercise plans, you can find a plethora. And yes, I used plethora in a devotional. Plans for beginners, fat loss, over 40, teens, core strength, and the list goes on and on. In our verses for today, Paul writing to his spiritual son Timothy, encourages another exercise plan that may not reduce your waistline but is highly profitable.
Paul wrote to Timothy instructing him to reject profane and old wives’ fables. I like how the ESV translates this verse. “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths.” Now, without climbing on my soapbox, how much media content falls into the categories of irreverent and silly myths? Instead of focusing on these worthless things, exercise or train yourself toward godliness. Any good athlete recognizes that to be in top shape, there are some things that have to be avoided. High-caliber athletes, especially those making a living from their sport, are extremely picky about how they take care of their bodies. There are things they just don’t eat and activities they completely avoid. Good athletes know that their training is vital, and they are regimented and disciplined, and as a society we applaud their discipline and focus.
How much more should those of us who are part of God’s eternal kingdom be focused on living for God? We may not be top-flight athletes in this realm, but we each have an opportunity to live for God. So there will be things we say no to and things we avoid. The world may not know or applaud, but training for godly living will not only pay off in this life but also in the life to come. Keeping in mind that the life to come is going to be established on an entirely new set of parameters and last forever. No pain, no gain also applies to training in godliness. Sometimes, it is painful on our flesh to say no, but the gain is worth it in this realm and the next.
I have always wondered about what training in godliness looks like. We have to know what the goal is so our aim and effort are not wasted. In verse 12, Paul shares a list of areas that we can grow in and develop in our lives. These are not fixed assets; they are areas where we all have capacity and potential.
Paul told Timothy to let his example quiet the criticism about his young age. We can never stop people from talking, but we can live in such a way that their critiques are baseless. His list to Timothy gives us some key areas to train in living for God. Live godly in word, or what you say, and I’ll add, how you say it. In conduct or how you live. In love, meaning the God kind of divine love that Jesus instructed us to obey. In spirit. Depending on the Bible translation you use, this word can be left out. But it is found in some of the oldest manuscripts, and I am going with it. The spirit of how we do things is highly visible and can be an excellent example. We all know people who may do something, but the spirit in which they do it is negative. And we know people who carry a positive, good spirit in how they conduct themselves.
Timothy, being a good example to the believers in Ephesus, would include the spirit he exuded. The next quality on the list was faith. Timothy was to be an example in faith which lets us know that genuine faith is tangible. The gospels tell of Jesus seeing someone’s faith which was evident by their words and actions. The last area that Timothy was to focus on was purity. We don’t know if Timothy was married and being in a position of leadership, he would have to exercise godliness in order to stay pure. But how many ministers have had their example stained by lack of purity, so it’s a thing.
APPLICATION
To be able to be a light in these areas that Paul outlined to Timothy will not come by accident. Like the athlete training to win, we have to be intentional to see these six areas flourish. But the good news is that we can. Timothy may have been more of a public example due to his fulfilling his calling as a pastor, but all of us are called to live godly. So lets go! We can do this!
PRAYER
Lord, help me to live godly so You are glorified and others are inspired. With the help of the Holy Spirit and fueled by Your Word, I can train for godliness.