Tag Archives: 1 Timothy 4

Be An Olympian

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The Apostle Paul was a sports fan.

He loved a good sports analogy and used them often when talking about the spiritual life: running, wrestling, boxing, winning the prize.

A few miles outside Corinth, the Isthmian Games were held every two years. There were no Airb&bs in the area, so tentmakers made a killing on the sale of temporary shelters for the fans who came from far away.

Paul went to Corinth and met Aquilla and his wife Pricilla “and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.” (Acts 18:3) Maybe he attended an event, or maybe he heard the cheers from the stadium.

The Isthmian Games had competitions in footraces, wrestling, boxing, throwing the discus and javelin, the long jump, chariot racing, poetry reading and singing. Yes, poetry reading. And singing. There was only one winner in each category—no second or third place. And there were no medals.

The winner was given a crown made out of celery.

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.
They do it to get a crown that will not last,
but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
1 Corinthians 9:25

Olympians are inspirational. As I watch the athletes perform at such a high level, I think, “What is behind that one moment of glory?” Champions are made in the things we don’t see. The daily workouts, the daily reps, the daily nutritional program.

Life is built on the dailies, even for average, unathletic people like me who will never stand on an Olympic podium. The seemingly unimportant and unseen daily routines accumulate over time. They determine if I live with halfheartedness or excellence.

What if I approached my life with God as an Olympian?

Could I stick to the consistent discipline of living for Christ?
Do I have enough dedication to take my faith seriously every day?
Are my daily routines helping or hurting my spiritual life?
Am I running the race set before me in such a way to win the prize?

“You will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” 1 Peter 5:4

And it ain’t made of celery.

“Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please!
Workouts in the gymnasium are useful,
but a disciplined life in God is far more so,
making you fit both today and forever.”
1 Timothy 4:8, The Message

Step It Up

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“Take the time and trouble to keep yourself spiritually fit.” 1 Timothy 4:7 (Phillips version)  

Last year our insurance company sent out pedometers to everyone covered by their health insurance plan. We were told to wear them every day and then regularly plug them into our computer where the steps would be logged. At the end of the year, depending on how many steps taken, each person would be rewarded. I figured a little motivation couldn’t hurt and it wasn’t a big deal to clip the pedometer on my belt loop every morning. When I realized the reward could potentially be as much as $300, I got serious. Getting paid to walk? Are you kidding? I’m in!

Unfortunately, not everyone in the household was on board. One day I noticed an unused pedometer sitting on  the counter and *cha-ching*, I saw money walking out the door. So I clipped it on next to mine. Not sure that’s ok. I feel slightly guilty, so it’s probably not ok.

Perhaps I’ve lost sight of the real motivation for all this. The money is nice, but exercise and good health is really what this deal is all about. Wearing my hubby’s pedometer might garner me a few bucks, but it will do nothing for his health. When it comes down to it, everyone needs to be responsible for their own steps if they want the true reward.