20 Jul 2011

I Timothy 4:8

Posted by joncooper

I Timothy 4:8: “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.”

Today’s culture is obsessed with exercise. People spend long, grueling hours every week trying to get into shape. I’m not going to say that this is a waste of time, but notice what this verse says. Whatever benefits you might get out of exercising, the benefits of godliness are far greater.

Stop and think about it. No matter how much you exercise, you will eventually die. You may be the most physically fit person in the world but you’re still going to die, just like everyone else. Exercise cannot deliver you from Hell or make you right with God. Holiness is far more important and far less prized. Many people who spend endless hours exercising have no interest in spending even one hour pursuing godliness. They care a great deal about their health but they seem to have little interest in their soul.

The point of these verses is not “stop exercising”. What Paul is saying is that we need to keep our priorities straight. Godliness is far more important than exercise and we desperately need to pursue it. If we’ve reached a point where our health is more important than our soul then we’ve made a very bad mistake. As Christians we must not adopt our culture’s values. The lost may choose to rigorously exercise while leading immoral lives, but we must not follow them. Take the better road – seek holiness instead. The return on investment is much greater.

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