Training

October 6

Jeremiah 3-4

Psalm 109:21-31

Proverbs 24:15-16

I Timothy 4

Training

“On the other hand, train yourself for the purpose of godliness, for bodily training is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”  1 Timothy 4:7-8  LSB

I do not enjoy exercise.  I wish I did.  I know that I need to exercise and that it’s good for me.  Brian does Crossfit and he loves it.  He goes several times a week and he looks forward to it every time.  I understand the benefits and I want to do it, but I just can’t seem to make myself exercise on a consistent basis.  I’m not lazy.  If you know me, you know that I am very active.  I rarely sit down during the day.  I am always doing something productive, just not exercise.  I like today’s verse because it affirms that exercise is only of little profit (I know that is no excuse, I’m just kidding, sort of).  I do like the analogy though.  Spiritual training is much like physical training.  Like exercise, it doesn’t do a lot of good if you only do it occasionally.  While it is better than not doing anything at all, to get the benefit from it, it needs to be consistent and regular.  A little bit every day is far more beneficial than a lot once a month.  Spending a few minutes  in prayer and Bible study every day is much more meaningful than an hour each Sunday.  Relationship and intimacy is developed through daily connection. 

It is significant to note that training is not passive.  It is intentional and requires commitment.  When we are training physically, it is important to set goals and benchmarks so that you can see your progress.  Spiritual training should be approached in the same way.  We should regularly evaluate our lives and ask God to help us set goals to address areas in our lives where we want to grow.  This should be done with the help of the Holy Spirit so that He can reveal to us the areas that He wants to work on in our lives.  The best place to start is in God’s Word.  Since you are reading this book, I am assuming that you are studying the Bible but ask Him to show you how you can dive even deeper into His Word.  Maybe you need to join a Bible study at your church, or a Sunday School class.  Maybe you should join an online Bible study or just spend more time each day with the Lord.  There should never be a time when we are standing still.  God wants us to continually be growing in our faith.  Spiritual training offers benefits for us in our daily lives.  It gives us wisdom and guidance to navigate the trials and difficulties we face and it prepares us for the life to come.  The relationship we develop with the Lord now will carry into eternity with Him. We should approach our spiritual training in the same way that we would approach physical training.  Develop a plan and follow it.  Be intentional.  Be consistent.