Jesus, I really just want to be with you today. I feel like the past little while I have been functioning on frustration, which creates distance between me and everybody. Sometimes the joy of life that you instill in my spirit wanes, and I long for it to be vibrant, yet I am constantly distracting myself with busyness, with things to do. Forgive me for not taking adequate time with you – for reading a verse, writing on it, and calling it good, whether or not you and I even spoke. Jesus, I need you in my life, but sometimes I question what that means – sometimes it seems I forget what I preach. Sometimes I get so caught up in encouraging and challenging others to pursue you with everything, to be intimate with you that my own life is neglected. Forgive me. That is wrong of me. I am ashamed.
I ask for two things: 1) forgiveness. My lifestyle has been permeated by selfishness. Of this I repent. 2) grace. I need your grace in my life that I may encounter your presence even in the place that I am. I praise you that thanks to you, the only thing that can come between me and the Father is myself. There is no longer anything to hold me back from relationship, no judgement, no shame. Yet still I must rely on your grace, even for relationship. So I ask you, please guide me today.
1 Timothy 4:7b-10
Train yourself in godliness, for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
At a moment when I am contemplating joining a gym to get back into physical shape, here is a very clear reminder of the value of it in comparison to spiritual training. There is no doubt in Paul’s tone which he values more. This is not to say do not exert effort to be healthy, for Paul himself said that “physical training is of some value” not that it is of no value at all – he just insisted that “godliness is valuable in every way.” ”Every way” definitely trumps “some”.
What is godliness? Why does Paul command Timothy to train himself in it? In the next paragraph Paul tells Timothy to set an example to all believers “in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” This is godliness: a lifestyle that is set apart for God. Godliness is of ultimate value. A lifestyle that is set apart for God is of ultimate value. The question is then raised: how do we train ourselves in godliness? How do I train myself in godliness? I think sometimes we are tempted to ask God to “make us more godly” or even to give it to us as a gift.
In response to that question and train of thought I am reminded of the movie Evan Almighty in which the Evan’s wife asks God for patience and God responded with something like, “Do you really think when you ask for patience that God will give you patience? Or will he give you an opportunity to be patient?” Every day I am faced with opportunities to live in and train myself in godliness, and how I face these moments determines the godliness of my life. I do not say this in a legalistic way, as if I there is some measure of godliness to achieve in this life – but there is truth to be found in the benefit of focusing our life on pursuing God and his ways. That is what godliness is all about: drawing as close to God as we can.
So, as I begin to train myself physically, I must be conscious to continue and further my training in godliness, for truly it is the most valuable of all.