Exercise unto fitness week 27, 2017

I realised I was panting with a little exertion. Was it illness? Was the heart failing? Those were the symptoms of lack of fitness. If you’ve ever exercised after a long layoff you’ll agree it’s not easy. The heart pounds, the pains come, and the desire to stop keeps calling. Fitness does not come by birth but by a combination of good food and exercise. You have to exercise to be physically fit. After more than a week of steady exercise the panting stopped, a feeling of wellness washed over me. Relief! There are diseases which come because one is not physically fit, and diseases fought (at least in part) by staying fit and improving fitness. The good thing is that everyone with normal faculties can become physically fit.

Have you noticed godliness is akin to fitness, something attained (not bequeathed)? Hear this: But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 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 come1Tim 4:7, 8(KJV). This indicates that like we exercise the body, train the body unto fitness so we train, we exercise our souls and spirit to its own fitness called godliness. Instead, train yourself to be godly1Tim 4:7(ISV). So righteousness is given you as a gift at new birth but godliness is what happens when you work out. And so, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only when I was with you but even more now that I am absent, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling Php 2:12(ISV).

In physical training you work against resistance, repetitively and gradually increasing the resistance, distance, speed etc. How do you exercise spiritually? How do you train yourself to be godly? The above verse tells us: just as you have always obeyed. It is by obedience. Repetitive obedience to what the spirit of God says that we do the spiritual workout. It becomes easier and easier to obey God and live the Christ like life. Gradually those things which God says “do” that seemed impossible become possible and habitual! The thing about fitness is that we work to get fit, and keep working to keep fit. No matter how physically fit one is, should exercise stop the fitness is gradually lost. Then you have to start again. Fitness is not just a matter of age; it is very much a question of exercise.

Physical fitness it a matter of practice; ever heard someone say “I’m going to the field to practice”? Practice what you believe God has told you, practice what you hear from His word and you grow in the faith. But solid food is for mature people, whose minds are trained by practice to distinguish good from evil Heb 5:14(ISV). Child of God a life of continuous godliness is possible. Yes every born again child of God can be godly. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the full knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence2Pt 1:3(ISV).

How spiritually fit are you?