Spiritually Fit

2010-02-02T11:19:00.000-08:00

Mom and Dad, have you ever decided to start a diet and exercise program, but were so overwhelmed by the opinions of experts, some professional and some not, that you wanted to give up before you started? All their opinions, infomercials and books can make you dizzy before you start. Carbs or no carbs? The Atkins Diet or South Beach Diet? Run or don’t run? Supplements or no supplements? Bla, bla, bla, bla, bla! Who is right and what can you believe? I would venture to say there are as many opinions concerning diet and exercise as there are perspectives on religion. The choices and opinions make the best of us want to quit, sit on the couch and eat a big bowl of ice cream! All kidding aside, over the last few months, my wife and I started really getting serious about our diet and exercise. I was one of those lucky ones who could eat anything and everything I wanted until age and the culinary skills of fine Baptists finally caught up with me. My wife also struggled after time and the childbearing years took its effect on her body. Needing to take control, we were determined to find a diet and exercise plan that was not based on the next fad, or popular opinion, but on tried and true principals of good health and fitness. I think some of the same comparisons can be made in trying to get back into spiritual shape. Just try going to your local Christian book store. Books and bible studies on spiritual health are quick to offer suggestions on how to have a great life and great family. The problem is, who is right and who you believe, because the options and opinions of the religious experts vary as much as the diet experts do? How can I be spiritually fit and how can I be discerning enough to know what is true and what is just opinion? What spiritual principals can I exercise that will make me and my family spiritually fit, and how can I teach my children to know the difference between man’s vain philosophy and biblical truth?
A young church planter named Timothy faced a similar situation as he purposed to lead people in need of solid truth. Fortunately, this young pastor had a great mentor and father in the faith named Paul. Paul loved Timothy as a son and taught him how to lead people to become spiritually fit and healthy. In fact, Paul taught Timothy so well he could trust him to pastor a challenging church at Ephesus. Listen to the words of Paul spoken to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:3-7, “…Remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.”(ESV) Paul goes on to tell Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:18, “This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith.”(ESV) The church at Ephesus was a church needing order in worship as well as doctrinal correction and was plagued with false teaching. Its members needed to get spiritually fit; they were in need of spiritual disciplines that would exercise them in a life of godliness. What can we learn from Paul’s fitness instruction to Timothy found in 1 Timothy chapter 4? Look with me at Paul’s counsel to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7-9, “Have nothing to do with irreverent silly myths. Rather 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 saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.”(ESV) Paul did not want Timothy getting side-tracked by the latest and greatest religious fad, but on a life focused and centered on God. Paul’s instruction to Timothy was simple; exercise yourself in godliness! Don’t focus on myths and outward appearances, but focus on real heart transformation found only in and through a personal relationship with God. In this passage, Paul uses the language of the gymnasium to illustrate to Timothy the importance of spiritual fitness. Listen to some of the words Paul uses in chapter 4: train, toil, strive, devote, practice, keep a close watch on yourself, and never give up! I can almost feel the physical action taking place in the mind of Paul as he coaches Timothy on living a life of godliness. What can we learn from Paul’s spiritual fitness plan given to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7-16? I believe there are four fitness principals in this passage I can apply in leading my family to be spiritually fit.

Frequency
Frequency can be defined as a return or occurrence of a thing often repeated at short intervals. The human body is an amazing thing. God designed the human body to be strong and to accomplish incredible things, just as he has designed me and my family to be strong and to do great things for his glory. Did you know that God designed our physical bodies to require physical exercise on a regular basis? Exercise physiologists say that muscle tissue has only 96 hours to get exercise before it begins to atrophy. That is only four days! If I am a couch potato for four days my muscles will get weak and flabby. If this is true of my physical body, how much more does it apply to my spiritual body’s need for frequent and repeated spiritual exercise? Have you ever felt spiritually flabby and out of shape? There are some days I feel like I can run a marathon (spiritually) and there are other days I don’t think I can walk up a flight of stairs (spiritually). Paul exhorted Timothy in V.13 to regularly exercise three important areas of his life and the life of his church to protect it from spiritual atrophy. Paul told Timothy to do the following frequently:

1. Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture
2. Devote yourself to exhortation
3. Devote yourself to teaching
Paul knew if young Timothy would frequently exercise and devote himself to these disciplines, he would safeguard himself and his church from false teaching and popular opinion. As a husband and father, I must exercise frequently the reading of scripture in my home. I must find ways to exhort and proclaim scripture to my children by positively living a life of faith before them. I must faithfully teach my children the word of God so like Timothy they will know truth, wage the good fight, holding faith and a good conscience.

Intensity
Have you ever been around really intense people? Really intense people sometimes make me uncomfortable. It is hard to be lazy around intense people. The good thing is these kinds of people really stretch me and make be better. I guess you could say they take me to the next level. When we exercise intensity in our lives, we go beyond what is comfortable and get really stretched outside our comfort level. Paul wanted Timothy to toil and strive and to stretch himself in his pursuit of godliness. Listen to what Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7b-10, “…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 saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”(ESV) Paul encouraged Timothy to really stretch himself in his pursuit of godliness. Godliness is the heart and soul of Christian character and the aim of Christian living. Godliness is a respect for God that affects the very way I live my life. As I endeavor to get my life and family into spiritual shape, I must not get lazy or let them get lazy, but must stretch them in the exercise of godliness, even when they think it is a little uncomfortable or too difficult.

Type
When I did sports or music, I knew if I really wanted to be good at a particular sport or musical instrument I had to practice, practice, and practice even more. How many multiplied thousand of balls have some of the great golfers hit just to practice their swing? If godliness is to be the pursuit of my life and the life of my family, I must actively practice and model the attributes of godliness every day of my life! Listen to what Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12. “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (ESV) Paul instructed Timothy to set an example. As a father or parent, I must frequently and with intensity set an example of god-like character. Scripture is full of great examples to help us start the process.

· In Speech – “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Colossians 4:6 (ESV)
· In Conduct – “Walk in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” Philippians 1:27 (HCSB)
· In Love – “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth; Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV)
· In Faith – “The righteous shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17 (ESV)
· In Purity – “But I say, walk in the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16 (ESV)

Time
In exercise, I must spend enough time to get the desired effect. Going to the track and running one lap around the track might ease my conscience, but it will not help me get in shape. It is going to take time and several laps for me to get the desired effect. Spending one hour alone with God a week is like training for the New York Marathon one hour a week. Paul told Timothy to practice the disciplines of godliness. He told Timothy to immerse himself in them so those under his influence could see his progress. “Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.” I Timothy 4:15 (ESV) If my family and I are going to get spiritually fit, we must practice good doctrine, good teaching and a healthy respect for God. In doing so, I can rest in the fact that God is the author and finisher of my faith, trusting in his wonderful work of grace to accomplish his will for me and my family as we bring Him glory and Honor.

Every good exercise plan needs proper accountability for it to sustain over a course of time. It is said that 85% of dieters gain back everything they lose within three years. Paul knew the importance of helping Timothy stay accountable. Using the language of exercise, note Paul’s advice to Timothy in V.16. “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.”(ESV) As a dad and parent, I must keep a close watch on my spiritual fitness and the spiritual fitness of my family. Being diligent in this exercise will save my family and me from being shipwrecked by a world of opinion.
Could it be you find your family getting spiritually flabby and out of shape like I did? Has time, poor diet and a lack of spiritual fitness affected how you feel about life, family, friends and the church? Maybe it’s time to regain your spiritual vitality and get back into God’s gymnasium! There is no better time to start than now.
Every good exercise plan needs good nutrition and supplements.

Keith Burkhart

BGCO Family Ministry

Spiritually Fit