Many people are prepared to go to a lot of effort to do things that make them feel good about themselves. In the first century people abstained from certain foods and practiced various forms of self-discipline for religious reasons. The sacrifice made them feel good about themselves. These days people do the same sorts of things but, in our culture, not for religious reasons. It is amazing how much effort people put into dieting and exercising to look good. There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, keeping healthy is a moral responsibility. We must look after the bodies that God has given us. However, we also have spiritual needs that must be met, and these tend to get neglected as we preoccupy ourselves with our physical appearance and well-being. As Paul says here, “physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come”. Don’t just be a healthy body, be a healthy soul. Keep a healthy relationship with God and you will flourish spiritually. Be careful of spiritual toxins. Keep a healthy intake in your entertainment diet. Feed yourself regularly with good teaching and always put relationships first. The best spiritual exercise that you can undertake is worshipping God and caring for other people. Be physically healthy, that is important, but give priority to your spiritual health.
Think about how you can improve your spiritual intake.
Read 1 Timothy 4
