333 Words

333 WORDS….

That iron-man with all the muscles and energy and that healthy complexion didn’t get them by wishing and hoping and good intentions. He set his will.

While we recline in the recliner, he’s at the gym. We walk, he jogs. We eat delicious, he eats healthy. He’s lord of his body, we aren’t. Like the dog that gets silly when about to be taken for a walk, he seriously anticipates pumping iron (ugh!) and jogging uphill (ugh! again).

When 70, he will have the energy or our 50. He will stand erect. Instead of cheering from the sidelines, he will be playing the courts. He will drive safer, be more alert, make more money, have less medical appointments, live longer. Nonetheless….

Bodily exercise profits a little. (1Tim.4:8)

A little. Exercise profits lots, but “little” compared to spiritual exercise.

Spiritual exercise is exercising our spirits, feeding ourselves spiritual manna, daily consuming “the bread of life” (Jesus). Being flabby isn’t good; being spiritually flabby is dreadful. When 70, we will regret all that junk food; at “the judgment seat of Christ” we will regret all that spiritual junk food.

Among us are spiritual giants, not many but a few. They never got that way by wishing and hoping and good intentions. They set their will.

While we slept, they worshipped. We read the newspaper, they the Bible. We binge on entertainment, they devour spiritual manna.They’re lord of their souls, we aren’t. These few will prosper both in the short here and the lengthy there.

Ps.1:2: They delight in the law [Word] of the Lord, meditating on it day and night…. they are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

Consider:

“Bearing fruit each season.”
“Their leaves never wither.”
“They prosper in all they do.”

We each have the potential to be spiritual giants. But it will take more than wishing and hoping and good intentions. We must set our will.