Travis Lamb, Pastoral Staff—Intern
“Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way.” –1 Timothy 4:7–8
We just finished up a wonderful soccer camp yesterday, where all the campers and counselors got their days started not only with physical exercise, skills competitions, and fellowship, but also a daily lesson on some aspect of the Christian life. They learned from small and large groups what the Bible has to say about sin, Christ’s blood, repentance, purity, growth, and heaven. For most of us, it’s a no-brainer (frustratingly for me) that physical health doesn’t happen by accident and isn’t maintained all at once. We can’t eat one healthy meal and expect lifelong results or pop into the gym once and expect lasting strength. Growth comes through consistent habits, and the Bible compares this physical reality with spiritual growth.
Scripture often uses food language to describe our spiritual intake. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4). What we consistently eat fuels us, and the soul only lives on the steady diet of God’s Word. Bibles left unopened are meals uneaten. Perhaps we own one or several copies of God’s Word (free Bibles available at our Welcome Desk, by the way), but there’s no nourishment and the soul hungers, languishes, and perishes without partaking. The refrigerator is full; help yourself!
Spiritual growth also requires exercise. Paul exhorted Timothy to “train yourself for godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7). We all know physical exercise strengthens muscles through repeated use. Spiritual strength comes when we exercise the privilege of prayer, which strengthens our dependence on God. Worship strengthens our love for Him. Good works and service strengthen our love for our neighbor. Obedience strengthens faith. And each foot down the path of spiritual exercise is easier than the one before.
Of course, the important difference in physical and spiritual growth is in what we might call our being declared “fit.” Our standing before God is not earned through spiritual workouts or habits, rather we are saved entirely by grace though faith in Christ. But the heart made new in Christ, we as new creations, are called to and long to grow and serve.
Maybe it’s time to check in and consider our spiritual diet and exercise plan. Am I feeding regularly on Scripture? Am I exercising through prayer, worship, fellowship, and service? By God’s grace and the Spirit’s power, not the flashy one-time show of faith’s strength, but small daily habits produce growth for a lifetime that looks beyond this world into the life in the world to come. “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day” (Proverbs 4:18).
