Daily Scripture Reading 1 Timothy 4:7-8 KJV
1Ti 4:7-8 KJV
(7) But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
(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 Devotional is SPIRITUAL GYMNASTICS
The relationship between the body and religion has been a constant focus of religious men. Two extremes have been the subject of human opinion. Some people believe that the body is the seat of sin and will do anything to make it worse. This idea has been adopted by devoutly-intentioned monks in Western monasticism and the East. Sin must be addressed in the heart and soul where it began and is still growing. While it is easy to savage the body, the pride of self-mortification goes unnoticed. We won’t have to worry about the body if we tackle bad thoughts and evil suggestions. The dial-plate registers the inner workings of the body. The Greek religion represented the other extreme. The temples in ruin: These magnificent works of art that have survived centuries of destruction; their poetry and literature continue to show the devotion of the Greek mind towards beauty. The Christian position is different from the other. The body is for us the temple, the instrument and the weapon of our soul. Our mortal bodies are energized by the Holy Spirit’s indwelling. We can see the growth of inward power and beauty in holy people and their lives. While it is important to take care of the body, we must also care for the complex machinery that is meant to serve us. We have gifts within us that we should not neglect. Otherwise, it will be hard for us to meet our Master who has entrusted them under our care. The trials and temptations in life are likely to be used as an inward training tool that will help us develop our spiritual muscles. There is a lot of untapped force in each one of us; many moral and spiritual faculties that would never be utilized if we weren’t forced to wrestle with principalities and power, with difficulty, and with sorrow. The Apostle asks us to pay attention to ourselves and to live in an atmosphere of positive thought and self-denying ministry (1Ti_4 :13-15).
PRAYER for Today
Mold us, O God, into forms that are beautiful and useful, by the power of Thy providence and the touch of Thy hands. Fulfill Thine ideal and conform us to Thy Son’s image. AMEN.