LET YOUR LIFE SPEAK

I found and took a photo of a picture at a thrift store today, “LET YOUR LIFE SPEAK” which, along with pictures of my grandson, became my graphic design for this blog.

It seemed appropriate to the subject.

GODLINESS TRAINING ~ 1 Timothy 4:7-16

 ….Train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 

The world is obsessed with bodily training, just like it must have been in Paul’s days when the Colosseum was a lively and oft-times brutal place where strength determined victory. Today we have CrossFit, power-lifting, muscle-training, marathons, triathlons, and on and on. In our town families are stuck at home and churches close their doors because of the inability to get in or out driveways due to tens of thousands of participants in the annual marathon. I don’t, actually quite sadly, participate in any of those things. I say ‘sadly’ because I know that training the body is not only a good thing but can be a righteous pursuit too. My body is the ‘Temple of the Holy Spirit’ after all, and God deserves a fit temple, don’t ya think?

But here’s the thing – if godliness training is not moving the meter of my life, then all the bodily training in the world will not benefit me in the long run.  My view of life does not dictate a here-and-now existence. My life will continue beyond the grave, and I long for and look forward to my God welcoming me home with “well done, good and faithful servant.” So, this begs the question – what is godliness training? I got a very succinct answer as I kept reading. . .

Set an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.  Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have….

Conduct – does my behavior reflect the character of God
Love – do I love as Jesus loves – God, myself, others?
Faith – is my faith hidden under a basket, or does it help light dark paths?
Purity – my actions AND my thoughts, are they pure? What is my motivation?
Scripture – lots of books to read! How much do I let God’s revelations in?
Exhortation – when I open my mouth, am I an encouragement to others?
Teaching – how good of a coach am I in teachable moments?
Gifting – do I use God’s gifts so that they flow naturally out of me?

Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

PRACTICE, IMMERSE, PERSIST! Then, just like weight training develops specific muscles, I will develop character muscles. Others will see my progress and as I persist in my pursuit of godliness training I, and others, will reap the benefits now and for all eternity. It’s a pretty good reason to pursue soul/spirit training.

I injured my foot recently. It is healing and I will get back to bodily training because I know it is good for me. I will also let my life speak as I pursue, practice, immerse and persist in godliness training. I do like the idea of temporal and eternal rewards!

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
1 Corinthians 9:25

Onward and Upward!

suemccarysargis / 6/22/2019