Speaker: Darlene Sala | Series: Encouraging Words | I hate exercising. It takes too much time and it’s—well, boring! But thanks to my daughter’s nagging, I’m finally convinced it’s a necessity to maintain health and strength.

Notice what Paul says about exercise in 1Timothy 4: “Train yourself to be godly . . . physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things . . . the present life and the life to come” (vss.7-8).

Physical fitness involves three elements: stretching, weights, and aerobics. If we don’t stretch, even though it’s a bore!, our muscles shorten, and we become stiff. It takes working out with weights to build strong bones and increase muscle strength—hard work! Aerobic exercise strengthens the heart muscle and lung capacity–but it takes so much time! I never cease to be amazed at how lazy I am. And it’s easy to be spiritually lazy as well.

Godly fitness involves those same three elements—

stretching my limits
working with weights that are nearly too heavy
running toward the goal of laying hold of that for which God laid hold of me.

I often tell women that God doesn’t ask you to do anything He doesn’t equip you to do. But He usually stretches you to the limits. Don’t be surprised when God stretches your spiritual “tendons.” That’s what lengthens your reach.

The metaphor goes even further, for the weights in life often progress from light to heavier as you go along. But God has promised not to give you more than you can bear. You can trust Him to know your limits.

Don’t stop short of God’s purpose for you. Push on. Your efforts to lay hold of that purpose will only make you stronger in the Lord.

Do you need to resolve today, with God’s help, to be more physically fit? Even more important, says Paul, is training to be spiritually fit. Stop for a moment and ask God what changes He wants you to make.