Exercise Daily In God

This week as part of my time with God, I’ve been reading I Timothy. Here’s an excerpt from my reading today from I Timothy 4:7-16 (The Message):

Exercise daily in God–no spiritual flabbiness, please! 8 Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. 9 You can count on this. Take it to heart. 10 This is why we’ve thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We’re banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers. 11 Get the word out. Teach all these things. 12 And don’t let anyone put you down because you’re young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. 13 Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. 14 And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed–keep that dusted off and in use. 15 Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes! 16 Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don’t be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation.

I take this passage as an encouragement to keep on keeping on. We need to keep a well balanced life. If we eat well and exercise often yet fail to take care of our spiritual bodies, we are not living as good stewards or leaders. Also, we need to share the things that we are learning with those around us. The passage also points to living a life with character. This doesn’t mean living apart from people who are far from God. It means living a life with integrity and honesty in the mix with non-believers. Our words and more so our actions will speak volumes. And as Paul states in this letter to Timothy, our actions, our words, our character may allow others to experience salvation. What an honor and privilege to be in this position.

Until the next post…