My Thoughts On 1 Timothy 4:8

1 Timothy 4:8 “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.”

This takes me back to when Joel shared his testimony and something he said really challenged me. He said “When we are disciplined in the small areas of our lives God will give you discipline over the larger areas in your life.” Honestly I haven’t stopped thinking about that or doing my best to apply it to my life ever since. I see it that bodily training builds up the concept of discipline that can be applied in our spiritual life. I know that in obedience I can wake up early in the morning and make a habit of that and then through that I get to spend time with God in His Word. I know that I can get up in the morning and go on a run and it is good for my body, but more than just that I learn endurance and perseverance by going on those runs. I could go on and on, but discipline is a huge lesson God has been teaching me in Ignite. In this verse though, it is saying that we cannot be focused on the bodily training, but rather spiritual training because spiritual training will last and bodily training will not. When I wake up early in the morning or go on a run I cannot do it for the physical aspects, but for the spiritual. If we aren’t doing those things with the presence of God then there is no true and lasting benefit. Once again I am challenged: what are my motives behind the things that I do?

Application: Tomorrow morning when I get up and go on a run I will play worship music in my headphones and strive to really focus on God while I run.