Growth - Exercise
The advice that kids get if they want to grow is typically eat right and get your exercise! It is not bad advice! We all know that if we want healthy bodies we need activity and exercise. The Bible is in agreement.
1Tim. 4:8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
Training our bodies is profitable and good for us but only some in this life and not at all in eternity. However, Paul says that godliness is good for both this life and the life to come. Bodily exercise does some very good things for us. In the same way, exercising godliness brings good things not only for our bodies but also for our minds, hearts and lives.
Yesterday we saw in John 5 how the people studied the scriptures because they believed that in them they would find eternal life. Yet, they refused to come to Jesus in exercise of faith and so their study had little deep effect. It does us little good to study and know things if we don’t use them. This is especially true of spiritual things.
A few days ago we also looked a some verses from Hebrews. There it says about maturity coming from the exercising of our senses to discern both good and evil. It means that we grow as we practice using the truths of God’s word applied in practical situations in our everyday lives. The point is not that we always get it right. The point is that we keep practicing so as to grow up.
Christian takes violin right now. He is learning but needs to practice to improve. However, his teacher, while very talented, is not above making mistakes, accidentally playing wrong notes or touching wrong strings. The teacher also needs to practice regularly to maintain and improve his ability to play well.
There is a story told about a boy who was apprenticed to a jeweler to learn everything he could about jewels and jewelry. The master gave the boy small tasks to do each day...cleaning and polishing the same jewels over and over. The boy felt like a slave and so he asked the jeweler when he would start to teach him. The jeweler patiently replied that he was teaching him. Then he gave him some more jewels to polish. The boy sadly began to polish them. As he did he looked up and told his mentor that something was wrong with these jewels. They didn’t look right. They didn’t feel right. The jeweler then revealed to the boy that indeed they were just glass and not jewels at all. It was by the constant practice of handling and observing that the boy had begun to learn the true from the fake.
In many ways that is the idea that we find in scripture. We test things. We see if they are from God. We do that by applying His word. We do that by seeing that when we follow His word that it is true and trustworthy. It often takes time and effort and repetition. It is exercising of faith. An exercise in trust. A practical exercise of seeing things from God’s truth and acting accordingly.
In Proverbs 3:5-12 it says
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones.
9 Honor the LORD with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
10 So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD,
Nor detest His correction;
12 For whom the LORD loves He corrects,
Just as a father the son in whom he delights.
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