SPIRITUAL EXERCISE

Read 1 Timothy 4

I have mentioned before that I go to the gym just about every day. Why? Because I am getting older and have to work harder to keep my old body in some kind of shape. I keep telling myself, “Round is a shape.” Ha!

But this verse reminds me that all the bodily exercise I do means nothing eternally. I should instead be doing spiritual exercises to build godliness. (The word “discipline” in these verses is translated from the same Greek word where our word “gymnasium” originates.) Physical muscles fail. Spiritual muscles are eternal. And just like building physical muscles takes weight and resistance, spiritual muscles are built through adversity.

TEACHING MOMENT

So, Mom and Dad, consider yourselves trainers for your children. Just like you might hire a trainer to help you get in shape physically, God has put you in charge of your child’s spiritual training. It is up to you to give the environment and opportunities for your child to build those spiritual muscles. That means you can’t intervene at every challenge thrown at them. That “resistance” and “weight” they are encountering will help them build spiritual strength. You need to show them how to “lift” it properly by relying on the Lord, but you can’t lift it for them.

Speaking of lifting—what are you lifting right now? What is the weight that has you struggling? Are you trying to handle it all by yourself? Are you struggling to maintain proper form as you lift? Why not let the Lord be your spotter? You know what a spotter is, don’t you? That is the person at the gym who is right beside you when you are lifting a heavy weight. They not only keep you safe, in case the weight is too much for you, but they also encourage you as you lift. God is a great spotter and is always reliable. He won’t get distracted as you carry that weight. In fact, He will never leave your side. And in the end, you are stronger for it. Be strong, my friend.

Lord, I want to get stronger. I want to be able to “lift” whatever You put before me. Give me the discipline to build my spiritual muscles and to help my children get stronger too.