TrainedByTheBook

Training by the Book
by Gini Kittle

At this time of year, many people have resolved to lose weight and get physically fit. Health clubs are usually bustling with new members exercising! And while these are good goals to have and can help bring a sense of well-being, our spiritual health is also very important. Eternally speaking … it is much more important.

First Timothy 4:7-8 tells you to, “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.” Paul goes on in this chapter instructing you to, “Keep a close watch on yourself … persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16). So here we have Paul telling us we should take time to monitor our spiritual health for growth.

But how do you know if you’re growing spiritually healthy? Health clubs typically don’t have evaluations for our spiritual condition! The answer is to use the spiritual training manual we’ve been given — the Bible. God’s Word, is the instruction manual we’ve been given for strengthening our spiritual life and making progress in our relationship with God. It contains wisdom, encouragement, comfort, and life-changing power. It is the absolute standard we can use to see how our spiritual life is “measuring up.”