Are You In Shape?

"Train yourself in godliness.  Physical training is of limited value; godliness, instead, is useful in every way, holding promise for the present life and for the life to come." - 1st Timothy 4:7-8

 

As I huffed and puffed my way through the 23rd minute on the elliptical machine at the gym, I thought about how much work goes into just maintaining our bodies in shape, much less losing weight.  Then I thought about how I have Brain Age on my Nintendo DS to keep my mind sharp as well (my short-term memory is horrible lately!).  And then my soul came into my mind.  The health of my soul is as important as the health of my body and mind, if not, much more important because it will live on.  I push myself to workout because I want to look good in a bathing suit and fit better into my jeans.  When I look in the mirror and see rolls that aren't supposed to be there, I know I'm not fit.  When I play Brain Age and get 7x9 incorrect, I know I have to keep training.  In the same way, when I find myself doing those things I know I'm not supposed to do, or when I recognize I'm not praying as much as I should, I know I better get to training.

 

In the winter months we get a bit lazy and put off the training until Spring hits, but we can't do that with our souls.  For one thing, we don't know when our time will come to meet our Maker, but the health of our souls is vital to facing unexpected obstacles.  Being centered on God through prayer is where we find the strength to go through challenges in life.  Taking the time out, like we do for exercise, each day to renew ourselves in the Lord is what makes us stronger and prepares us to deal with financial trouble, marital problems, illness, arguments, and even being able to be there for a loved one who is going through a tough time.  This is why so many people fall apart when a bad problem comes their way... you can't run a mile in less than 8 minutes if you haven't been training, and neither can you get through life efficiently without God. Of course you can arrive at the finish line winded and about to faint, but what kind of athlete would you be?  What kind of performance is that?  You don't want to face life with an unfit soul either!  Get to training, God makes a great coach!

 

Today's Prayer:

Father, all my strength comes from You.  Allow me to make time for You always, despite how busy my day has been.  As I work on my body and mind, let my soul develop stronger as well.  In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.