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.

I Timothy 4:8 KJV

My youngest daughter’s summer athletic conditioning started again yesterday morning, after a week-long break. She and her teammates performed speed and agility drills, ran the stadium bleachers, and lifted weights. The physical training will build strength and endurance, and it will also make the athletes less prone to injury.

Physical exercise is a good thing, no matter your age. But just as my daughter’s high school sports days will come to an end, so too will our time on earth. Our days are numbered, and only God in His omniscience knows how many we have left. While we are commanded to honor God with our physical bodies, because they serve as the “temple of the Holy Spirit” (I Cor. 6:19-20), we know that they will not last forever.

Paul instructed Timothy to focus instead on godliness, a theme that runs throughout his first letter to his young protege. Holy living and a thirst for righteousness will reap rewards both in this life and in the next. Spiritual conditioning is a discipline that strengthens believers, allowing us to live fully for God while being more fit to resist temptations and distractions.

Let’s focus on increasing godliness and right living. Studying our Bibles, praying, and surrounding ourselves with other believers would be a great place to start! I suppose we could do all of those while running bleachers, but we better leave that part to the teenagers.

Prayer: Father, strengthen our godliness. With Your help, we can be more like Christ every day.