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18 September 2008
1 Timothy 4:6-10
By telling these things to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus. You will be made strong by the words of the faith and the good teaching which you have been following. But do not follow foolish stories that disagree with God's truth, but train yourself to serve God. Training your body helps you in some ways, but serving God helps you in every way by bringing you blessings in this life and in the future life, too. What I say is true, and you should fully accept it. This is why we work and struggle: We hope in the living God who is the Saviour of all people, especially of those who believe.
World record holding marathon runner Paula Radcliffe undertakes an immense training regime in order to achieve her goal of winning races. She will run an average of 150 miles a week across rocky terrain so that her body is in perfect condition for the long races she undertakes. Athletes go to immense lengths to train their bodies in order to achieve their goals of success. Paul compares our spiritual life to 'training' here. He says here that while physical training helps our bodies, spiritual training prepares us for eternity. What a goal!
Can you imagine putting the same effort that athletes do into our spiritual lives? Spiritual training is not easy - the discipline required may make us weary. There will be peaks and troughs. However, we need to keep our eyes fixed on the prize - the goal of an eternity with Christ. Paul admits that in doing this, we 'work and struggle'. Athletes lose their skills if their muscles aren't in constant use. Similarly we need to persevere with our spiritual lives, seeking to grow and develop further. We need to be working within a disciplined training programme of prayer, Bible study and service to enable us to maintain a living and vibrant relationship with God. It won't be easy, but what a goal to reach for!
Assess your spiritual life - are there areas where your 'spiritual muscles' need exercising? Spend some time asking God to enable you to help you run the race towards the prize.
Written by Gemma Clarke
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