Exercising your faith...

Exercising our faith to build up the church…

08-08-08 – The Beijing Olympics just took off last Friday. And as a Christian who happens to be a sports fan, like Paul, there are so many great illustrations about the Christian life we can glean from the world of sports. Just in participating in the games reminded me of what the Apostle Paul said to Timothy, “…Train yourselves 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 (2 Tim.4:7-8).”

I thought of that: “Physical training has “some value” as compared to “Godliness has value for ALL things.” Which is which we should give more priority to? Today we are bombarded with many ways to exercise – various programs to lose weight and to be physically fit. Practically thousands of people are spending a lot of money to acquire the latest and the easiest way to be fit. Some spend a lot of hours in the gym, others few hours in the home. Others just do it in the park or any quadrangle in the good old traditional way – jogging or walking! To serve its purpose all agree that it takes direction, discipline and determination to achieve what we want to achieve. And to those who stick to the plan get results.

Now, come to think of it? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Christians put as much determination into their spiritual life as they do in their exercise? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we put as much zeal and discipline into our Christian walk as we do in our hobbies and pleasures? A simple test: How many of you would come to a party, with your friends there and with lots of food? I’m sure many. But how many would come to commune with the Lord, seek God’s face with brothers and sisters interceding for others in prayer? How many can read books and novels for one sitting but could not read the Bible for half an hour everyday? How many could talk to others about politics, current events, movies and business with much enthusiasm but are always dumbfounded when we are asked about the Lord and His love?

The list can go on and on but the point is this: Live for that which has eternal value! It’s not wrong to exercise, in fact we should – for our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. But there’s an exercise that has value not only for this life but for the life to come – the exercise of our faith – the exercise of what we have learned from the Bible; the exercise of the gifts of the Spirit – to build up the church! It’s not by might, nor by power but by His Spirit we can! Go for God, not for the gold!