I Timothy 4:6-16
A Good Servant of Christ Jesus
6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 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. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 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.
11 Command and teach these things. 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. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 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.
Paul’s two New Testament letters to Timothy are spiritual love letters. As the older spiritual father to his younger son in the faith Timothy, Paul pours out his heart in love with guidance and direction for what it means to follow Jesus, and then to lead others to do the same. In today’s passage, Paul doesn’t make suggestions. Rather, he issues commands.
I have always loved reading these letters to the kiddos telling them to put themselves in place of young Timothy in order to learn from an older and wiser man who wants nothing more than for us to learn the secret to becoming who we were made by God to be, while growing in our relationship with Him. Verse 12 has even become a staple scripture of ours on how to act as a believer in Christ as a youth in today’s world.
In this passage, Paul can’t stress enough the need to diligently engage in spiritual training so that we might become strong in the things that matter most in life, specifically toward the goal of “godliness.” In this passage, we can find several action words that describe the practice of spiritual workouts, telling us that these exercises are characterized by toiling, striving, persisting, and practicing.
These are the same kinds of things that we do when we engage in physical training and workouts. We make and take the time necessary to exercise so that we might build our muscles and become stronger. In his letter to Timothy, Paul even says that “bodily training is of some value.” But he reminds Timothy – and all of us – that there is a greater value to our spiritual workouts. Why? Because while physical training may serve us well as it leads to physical health in this life, spiritual training holds “value in every way,” both for this life and the life to come. ‘Practice makes perfect!’
What kind of workouts do we value the most in today’s world: physical or spiritual? Why is that?
What “exercises” are essential to an effective spiritual workout?
What are the biggest barriers we face when it comes to engaging in daily spiritual workouts? How can we overcome those barriers?
Father God, we are grateful that you have called us into a relationship with you through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ. We confess that all too often our days are filled with so much activity and distraction that we fail to engage in the spiritual exercises that draw us closer to you. Give us a desire to devote ourselves to building our spiritual muscles so that godliness might mark our lives and impact others around us. In Jesus precious name – Amen!