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Spiritual Fitness
Tim Savage8“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” 1 Timothy 3
I’ve done a fair amount of training over the years – football, volleyball, track, tennis, running, physical therapy – each activity has a regimen of exercises designed to sharpen skills and strengthen muscles for that sport. Training isn’t really fun, it’s not that enjoyable, there are a lot of things I’d rather do than exercise, but there’s a purpose to it.
I hurt my knee skiing earlier this year. I say “skiing” but actually the problem was not knowing how to ski. At the end of several hours successfully navigating the beginner slope, we decided on one more run before calling it a day. My son, cousin and nephews convinced me to try the steeper hill on our last run. I was anxious and a little scared of that tougher hill, but pride got the best of me and down I went. Literally, down I went. I hadn’t learned many of the basics, including the pie stop on the bunny course and quickly picked up speed down this steep incline. I hit an icy patch, my tips crossed and I spun hard and had a “yard sale.” That’s when all of your stuff – poles, skis, goggles, hat – everything, is strewn all over the snow. I lay flat with my face in the ground, groaning. I got a ride from the nice man on the medical snow mobile back to the infirmary. Well, I tore the ACL in my left knee all the way through and slightly tore the MCL in my right knee and needed surgery to fix it. I had a great doctor and surgery and went well but after 9 months and a lot of rehab, due to complications in physical therapy I still can’t return to my running routine. Running isn’t really fun, but I enjoyed the discipline of it and the benefits of fitness and weight maintenance and now that I can’t do it, I miss it.
Spiritual training, specifically doing my daily devotions isn’t always fun or convenient. I typically have to get up 45 minutes earlier than everyone else in my family to have quiet time to get through it. I don’t always something profound to write and sometimes I fall back asleep on the couch as I’m reading, but the daily discipline of searching God’s word and writing the lesson I caught is invaluable. The tiny course corrections that are made everyday are life-changing and soul-saving over time. There is no doubt that I am a more mature follower and stronger believer because of my time in the word. That spiritual training has an important purpose. God speaks to me in these times of deep thought and quiet contemplation, even when I don’t finish or have to rush through it, there is guidance and direction passed to me.
Physical exercise is very important for my health and I need to find ways to stay fit, but even more important is spiritual training that disciplines my mind and keeps me close to my Heavenly Father now and forever more.
Dear Lord,
Thank You for speaking to me through my devotions. Thank You for Your word, which is a lamp for my feet and gives me guidance and direction.
In Jesus name,
Amen
