Police Devotion 6-30-2016
“But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7-8)
The statement, “bodily exercise profiteth little,” doesn’t mean that exercise is bad. Physical exercise is good. The Christian life is compared to running, boxing, and wresting: “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air” (1 Corinthians 9:26); “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12). Runners, boxers, and wrestlers need to exercise hard to excel. In a way, God’s Word endorses physical exercise.
Physical exercise also benefits “little.” That is to say that it does have some benefit. A Christian who stays in good shape physically can expect a longer, healthier life of serving the Lord than one who is overweight and unhealthy. Exercise of godliness, however, benefits this life AND the next: “godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.”
Pushups, chin-ups, and weights are good for upper body strength. Running and cycling are good for strong legs and aerobic health. Boxing and wrestling help combat endurance. Upper body strength is good. Upper body strength, a strong heart, and strong legs are better. All of these plus combat endurance are better still. Regular physical exercise will help you have these things. As a cop, you never know when you’ll need to run, fight, or respond to a dangerous incident. Unfortunately, some officers let themselves become overweight and out of shape. They aren’t as prepared for emergencies, and their health suffers.
Paul is using physical exercise to explain why spiritual exercise is important for a Christian. Just as you need to exercise to be physically healthy, you need spiritual exercise to be spiritually healthy. So what exercise can you do to be spiritually healthy? You take time to listen to God’s voice by reading His Word. You take time to speak with the Lord in prayer. You attend faithfully, serve the Lord, and labor to reach people with the gospel in a Bible-believing church. These are all areas where Christians can either be strong or weak, and where we should strive—or “exercise”—to be strong.
Physical exercise takes discipline. At times you may not feel like working out, but you need to fight past the temptation to be lazy and “just do it,” as the Nike commercial says. So it is with reading your Bible and praying, as well as church attendance or service. You need to fight the devil’s temptation and “just do it.”
Physical exercise must also be consistent and challenging. You need to exercise regularly with a workout that challenges you to improve gradually. You don’t become a super-athlete overnight. Results take time and patient continuance, but they do come. In the same way, don’t just read your Bible and pray just to get it over with. Pick it up and ask the Lord to speak to your heart with His Word, and trust Him to do it. Pray like you’re talking with Someone who cares about you, because He does. Ask Him to help your grow in your relationship with Him, and trust Him to help you.
Fitness is something you should continuously strive after. There should never be a time when you say, “Ok, now I’m fit, so I’ll stop exercising.” No. Strive consistently to maintain and improve fitness. Also, as a Christian, you should never say, “Ok, I’m godly now, so I’ll stop reading my Bible and praying and attending church.” Godliness is not a goal that you reach. It’s more a pattern of life to strive to follow as you walk through life with the Lord.
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Brian Miller 6/30/2016
Cleveland Baptist Church | 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 | 216.671.2822