Breaking a Spiritual Sweat

1 Timothy 4:7-8 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline 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. Godly living is not a sport; it is hard work. It is not something you do when you feel like it, or if you have some spare time for it, or if you are naturally good at it. Paul said to train yourself for godliness. The word train is gumnazo, from which we get our word gymnasium. That is, Paul was saying to his son in the faith, "Timothy, go into the gymnasium of the Word and work up a sweat. In fact, if you're not breaking a spiritual sweat, you're probably not working at it hard enough." Later in the same paragraph, Paul tells Timothy that this godliness is something for which we labor and strive (1 Timothy 4:10). The Greek word for labor is the root of our word agonize. ImaginePaul speaks of gaining godliness with words like "agonizing" and "training," just as an athlete would train and push himself to run a race. Actually, Paul uses that very analogy in a different letter wherein he says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it" (1 Corinthians 9:24). Consequently, godliness only comes as we train, agonize, and then run with all our strength. I have heard people say, "I don't read the Bible because it's too hard to understand"; "I don't pray like I ought to because that has never come easy for me"; "I'd like to memorize Scripture but it takes forever." Christian growth requires spiritual sweat! One of the greatest running backs in NFL history died at the age of forty-five. Walter Payton's skill and ability when he received the ball in his hands was legendary. When he retired after the 1987 season, he was the all-time leader in rushing yards. Though his on-field exploits impressed his fellow players, it was his off-season training which elevated him to iconic status in their eyes. Besides weight lifting, his daily routine included running near the Pearl River in Mississippi. He ran through the sand (65 yards of beach) or up the levee (a 45-degree slope). For his legacy, Payton did not want his statistics to be the focus, impressive as they were. "I want to be remembered," he said, "for giving it my all." May we be men and women who "give it our all" for something far more lasting than a football gamelet's train, and agonize, and run after, and with godliness!

DO YOU REALLY LOVE GOD?

St. Augustine asked his followers if they really loved God. "Do you love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength?" he asked. Then he told a story as a way to discover the answer. Suppose God came to a man and said, "The world and all that is in it is yours. I will give you perfect health. Whatever your heart desires is yours. I will even do away with sin and death and enable you to live forever." Sounds good, doesn't it? The whole world at your disposalno sin, eternal life? Too good, perhaps. "There is only one thing you will not have," God would say in this imaginary exchange. "You will never see My face. The choice is yours. I will respect your wish." Augustine said if there were a quiver in a person's heart at the words "you will never see My face," it is quite possible that he might really love God. If a man decided to turn away from all that the world could offer for the joy of seeing God's face, his love might be true. Sounds like a pretty good test to me! The only satisfaction to be found in this life is found in the love of God. We can choose Him through His Son Jesus Christ and know Him as we are known. Only then does satisfaction comebut then, it comes from everywhere. Because when the soul is satisfied, all the other things in life may be enjoyed for what they are: gifts from a God who is unchanging and good, and whose love endures forever.