Bible Verse: Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. (1Tim 4:7-10)
Scripture Reading: Romans 8:29-30; 2Corinthians 3:17-18; Colossians 3:9-10
“Dad, when am I going to get bigger?”
This is a question my son asks multiple times a week. He is heading into his teenage years, and some of his friends have started to hit their growth spurts already, and he is ready to get going!
I explain to him that we must be patient, that we can’t make it happen, that God has already genetically pre-decided our ultimate height and timing, and so we have to let Him do the work of physically forming us.
That being said, I also explain that humans are a lot taller than they used to be, primarily due to better nutrition and health habits, and so we can do our part to eat well, strengthen our muscles, take care of our bodies – so that we might reach our greatest physical potential.
In other words, God does the work – but we have a role to play.
So it is with our spiritual lives. As the main verse above shows, the apostle Paul often likened the spiritual life to the physical life. Just like we can work hard to train our physical bodies, so too we can “train” ourselves for godliness. The Holy Spirit does the work of transforming us (2Corinthians 3:17-18), but we have a role to play too.
A man wanting to get in shape must make an intentional effort to eat right, drink lots of water, rest properly, exercise, and seek out some encouragement and accountability. This physical training is designed to help the body be the healthiest version of itself that God designed it to be.
Likewise, a man wanting to kickstart his spiritual life must also make an intentional effort there. We need to connect and commune with the Living God so that He can do His work in us and so that we can be transformed.
There is no physical health without intentional effort, and there is no spiritual growth without intentional effort. This week, we will talk about how we do this – how to engage with the Lord so that we can be transformed more and more into men who look like Jesus.
Prayer: Lord, I desire to grow! Strengthen me to take the steps to draw closer to You.
Reflection: Reflect on your walk with Jesus – where have you felt especially close to Him? Go and spend some time in that place or in that activity today.
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