“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”-1 Timothy 4:8
There is no doubt some people look more naturally fit than others. I imagine you've noticed this. It seems God has just given some folks genes that are more geared toward a lean body. That must be nice for them, right! But make no mistake about it, no one is truly physically fit without discipline. No one. For professional basketball players to have the stamina to tirelessly run up and down the court for over an hour, night after night, they have to train (regular practice, running, weight lifting, stretching, drills, etc.). Physical training is essential. There is no chance of being a top-notch athlete for any extended period of time without discipline. Along these lines, there is no maturing, growing, thriving, enduring, faithful Christian without discipline.
Don’t misunderstand me. I am not talking about salvation. We aren’t saved by our discipline or effort. Jesus saves us by His grace alone through faith in Him (Ephesians 2:8-9). Thank God for that! Jesus alone saves. But after we're saved, after we acknowledge our sin, turn to Christ and trust in Him for salvation, we are to now cooperate with the transformation process He begins in us. He starts sanctifying every Christ follower. He works in us, and now we are to follow Him! Discipline becomes very important for our continued growth in godliness. Let’s reread 1 Timothy 4:8 which says, “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” We know that to become stronger physically, training is essential, and it’s good. If you want to successfully run a marathon, work will need to be done. Well, far more important than any physical training is the call for every believer to be growing in godliness! And this will take discipline. Spiritual training is key, and it’s really good! Intentional effort is important for ongoing maturity. The disciple, Peter, became very aware of the importance of every Christian applying themselves, putting effort into growth as a follower of Jesus. In 2 Peter 1:5-8, we read, “…Make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Spritual discipline and effort is commended here! Again, not for salvation, but for growth as Christ’s disciples.
With this in mind, it’s worthwhile to ponder some probing questions for our own good: How is it going for you with spiritual discipline? Is regular Bible reading a priority for you? Is memorizing Scripture important to you and practiced? Are you consistently gathering with church family for worship, prayer, mutual edification, and Bible study? Do you have any true accountability in your life? Are you serving others and putting yourself in situations where you can actually practice the “one another” commands God has given us? Are you regularly encouraging other believers? We could consider many more questions tied to spiritual discipline. These questions aren't intended to be a "guilt trip." They're meant to spur us on. It’s important we all ask ourselves these questions and answer honestly. God wants each and every one of us to grow! He is already powerfully working in us (Philippians 2:13). What a gift that is! Might we cooperate with Him, applying ourselves with spiritual discipline! Let's regularly read our Bibles. Let's memorize His word that we might know and remember the truth. Let's commit ourselves to regularly gathering with church family, to prayer, to mutual encouragement, to serving, and so on! After all, “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.”-1 Corinthians 9:25
Cheer up, friends!
-Scott