Physical Exercise VS. Spiritual Exercise

Physical Exercise For The Physical Body

In my devotions this morning I started thinking where the Bible in 1 Timothy 4:8, Paul talks about bodily exercise profiteth little, but godliness is profitable unto all things. I couldn’t help but to remember how when I was younger and in my teenage years, I did everything I could make sure I was in shape and that I was looking good… I had no other reason but to attract the ladies and of course at the time I wasn’t serving the Lord.

Fast forward 25 plus years, now I’m married and have 2 children of my own. I realize that what Paul said such a long time ago is so true and applicable to this our day because my body has taken a different route than my original intended goal back then. All of that exercise and work that I did back then even though it helped, made me feel good, and made me look good at the time, it was only temporarily.

Spiritual Exercise For The Spiritual Body

Now on the flip side, the spiritual exercise that I have done for my soul since I became a Christian at 12 years of age, not only did it help me then, but it is still helping me now. Just as in physical bodily exercise, the more exercise sessions you accumulate on top of one another will eventually add up and cause you to obtain great gains like bigger muscles, a more shaped body, etc. These are things people long for physically.

The same thing goes for the Spiritual exercise of the soul. The more you exercise it with the spiritual equipment and tools of God the more gains you are going to see spiritually. The natural types the spiritual. You reap what you sow. The more time you give the the spiritual things of God the more God muscles you will have and the closer you’ll get to that perfect body we all long for.

I Timothy 4:6-9 – Paul Speaking To Young Timothy

Paul here in the this passage below is speaking to Timothy who at the time was a young man, but also a young minister. This admonition from Paul wasn’t for an older brother or sister already seasoned in the life and the Word. Instead, he was speaking to young Timothy who had a great zeal for sharing and teaching the Word of God to others and wanted to do everything he could to help others spiritually. You can read and listen more about Timothy here: Who was Timothy in the Bible?

What a great thing to see a young man or a young lady today with such a zeal for God and his people. What a great thing to see a young person today who puts more emphasis in exercising the soul than exercising the body. Look what Paul says in this scripture:

6  If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. 

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. 

9  This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. 

Should I Not Physically Exercise Then?

In verse 8 above Paul was not saying that bodily exercise didn’t profit at all. Of course it does, but only for the body. Paul here was saying that it had little profit as compared to exercising godliness.

You may asking, what is godliness? Most dictionaries give the definition of: The quality of being devoutly religious or pious. That’s ok and we could say many things about that, but the godliness that Paul was talking about here is totally different.

What Is Godliness Then?

The godliness that Paul was referring to here means “to be like God.” You might be saying, but I can’t be like God because he’s perfect and I make alot of mistakes. Absolutely you make many mistakes and so do I, but God is requiring this perfection from you. The thing is though, this (godliness) or perfection doesn’t come from you, yourself, but from God. This is God’s godliness or perfection inside of you, not your own because we are naturally imperfect and sinners to begin with: Ecclesiastes 7:20.

In part 2 of our next post we are going to get into more details about this godliness (perfection) and how this relates to I Timothy 4:6-9. We welcome your comments below and also share this post with others that they might benefit spiritually.