MONDAY Timothy 4:7b-1
This weekend we focused on Methodism’s three general rules (“do no harm, do good, stay in love with God”) as a guide for Christian training. In Three Simple Rules, Bishop Reuben Job wrote, “The rules are simple, but the way is not easy.” The apostle Paul agreed, and urged the young pastor Timothy to “train,” “work,” “struggle,” “practice,” and “focus.” He compared physical training (what Olympic athletes did) with spiritual “training.” Spiritual strength doesn’t “just happen” any more than physical stamina—it’s built by intentional practices.
• Paul in no way put down physical training. He himself lived a taxing life, journeying long distances on foot and recovering from accidents or (sometimes) beatings. But he said spiritual training was even more valuable, because it “has promise for this life now and the life to come.” How much effort and time are you putting into your spiritual training?
• We find in 1 Timothy 4:1-5 that Timothy was dealing with false teachings in his church. Instead of telling Timothy to focus on what was wrong, Paul urged him to build his spiritual strength in positive ways. How can building a stronger connection with God equip you to stay on course as a Christian?
TUESDAY 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
The Corinthians’ home city hosted the Isthmian games (second only to the ancient Olympics in prestige). Paul sent them this extended comparison of spiritual living with athletic training. The phrase “practices self-discipline” in verse 25 used two words right from the vocabulary of Olympic athletes. The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament notes: “Participants for the Olympic games had to swear by Zeus to follow ten months of strict training beforehand.”
• Galatians 5:22 listed “self-discipline” (the Greek word egkrateia) as “the fruit of the Spirit,” a good quality God’s Spirit grows in the lives of God’s people. What comes to your mind when you think of “self-discipline”? Have you ever been happily surprised, after using self-discipline to reach a challenging goal, to find yourself living in greater physical or spiritual freedom in other ways because the discipline helped you to set aside things that were harming you?
WEDNESDAY 7.25.12 Luke 5:15-16, Luke 6:12-15, 1 Thessalonians 3:9-11
Prayer is a basic spiritual practice by which Christians grow stronger. In the gospels, we repeatedly find Jesus praying—his “conversational” relationship with God was even more important to him than social connections or sleep. His followers learned from his example and teaching—Paul referred to his practice of praying “night and day.”
• When Jesus’ faced a busy schedule and rising public demands, he prioritized prayer. When he had important choices to make, he spent a night in prayer. We know that before he faced the climactic crisis of the cross, he prayed (see Luke 22:39-41, John 17). What obstacles do you find get in the way of you praying? In what ways can Jesus’ example motivate and teach you about how to weave prayer into your life?
THURSDAY Luke 24:25-45, Acts 17:2-12, 2 Peter 1:16-21
Another basic practice in spiritual training is spending time to read, understand and apply the Scriptures. When the risen Jesus walked to Emmaus, he didn’t just say, “Look—it’s me,” but “interpreted for them the things written about himself in all the scriptures.” Similarly, the apostles Paul and Peter pointed their converts to the Scriptures, not for light reading, but as the challenging, invaluable source of their deepest understandings of God and God’s love.
• Luke wrote that Jesus “interpreted for them the things written about himself in all the scriptures.” The United Methodist Book of Discipline says, “We are convinced that Jesus Christ is the living Word of God in our midst whom we trust in life and death. The biblical authors, illumined by the Holy Spirit, bear witness that in Christ the world is reconciled to God.” When have you met Jesus as you read the Bible? How can you open your heart to let Jesus “interpret … all the scriptures” for you?
FRIDAY Psalm 34:1-8, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Revelation 19:5-9
Another key spiritual practice is celebration—meeting life with gratitude, praise and deep inner joy. Revelation, contrary to its bleak, scary image, pictured God’s final reunion with God’s people as a joyous wedding banquet! This shifts what we might have learned about what it means to run the Christian race—always being somber, sternly focused and grimly determined (see Colossians 2:18-23).
• The psalmist wrote, in Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see how good the Lord is!” As with all the training practices of the Christian life, joy doesn’t happen if we stand back and think abstractly about it. Only when we choose to actually practice gratitude and praise in our relationship with God will we find that joy begins to flow. In what ways has your experience of “tasting and seeing” made you want to go deeper in your Christian race?
SATURDAY Philippians 4:4-9
Paul’s urged several practices in these verses, and ended by saying “practice these things.” As with physical training, so in spiritual training there are far more than just two or three exercises to help us to reach our goals. We become strong Christians by choosing to direct our thoughts and our actions toward our God, who promises us rich spiritual rewards.
• Do you have an intentional plan to build up your spiritual fitness? Spend time this week prayerfully making such a plan. For at least 6-12 months “taste and see” whether it doesn’t improve your life. If you’d like help, FaithPoint has many different ways to get connected contact pastor Chris for help on where you may best plug in. Why not begin today to train for a life of greater freedom in Christ, as you open your heart and let the Holy Spirit grow the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in your life?