Good timing, God!

God’s timing is occasionally amusing. Yesterday I had my second session with a personal fitness trainer. I want to regain strength and improve mobility so my body doesn’t weaken anymore than it already is. Today’s devotional reading is this section that Paul wrote to a young pastor:

“If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:6–8)

Here, the first use of ‘being trained’ means being nourished. The other instances of ‘train’ and ‘training come from the same Greek word that we get gymnasium and gymnastics. It means to discipline yourself. So I am hearing, “Nourish yourself in the Word of God. There is value in this life to go to the gym but being well-fed by God’s teaching is vital for life now and eternal life later.”

I’m not sure if Timothy was preoccupied at a gym and aiming for a buff body, but this can be a major preoccupation for some people. The nearby rec center is filled with all ages wanting slim, muscular bodies. Could it be that some of them are Christians and skipping Bible study and prayer so they can lift weights and skip rope?

My workout was hard for me but felt good. This could gain admiration from family and friends. I can imagine my clothes fitting better and having more energy. God warns me to keep this new venture in proper priority. I’m thinking of another warning about priorities that was specifically pointed to women:

“Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external — the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear — but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” (1 Peter 3:1–4)

Lest that misunderstood ‘s’ word upset me, it simply means to stop insisting on my own way all the time and be more like Jesus who always puts others first. Submission is only possible for those who are filled by the Holy Spirit. That said, the connection to the passage about bodily exercise is about priorities. Peter is not telling women to stop doing their hair or wearing nice clothes; he is telling me to not make that a priority. It is the same with going to a personal trainer. If I want to please God or even impress others, I am supposed to be adorned with the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, the spirit of godliness that by its presence declares that I am totally trusting Him.

Tozer emphasizes that godliness is like any other discipline or training; it requires practice that forms a habit. My husband models this in his generosity. He prays every time he sees a homeless person or beggar with a ‘help me’ sign. If God so indicates, he will turn around and drive out of his way to do whatever the Lord leads him to do. From this habit, he has a heart of compassion that convicts me. I’m more apt to suspect the person on the street has a Cadillac parked around the corner. Instead, I should be praying and following God’s leading.

^^^^^^^^^^

Lord, going to the gym is motivated by my own desires. Being a godly person must be motivated by the needs of other, whether a meal, a smile, a hug, or some money. First, I need to be more alert, but also less selfish and judgmental. Forming the habits of bodily exercise challenges me yet forming the habits of godliness is a greater challenge. Work in me so that the less important discipline reminds me of the more important and motivate me to keep at it. Both kinds of exercise will remind me of how out of shape I am!

Always learning . . .

"God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure." The website for Eric Liddell says that this line was actually written by Colin Welland as part of his script for the film Chariots of Fire, but is widely misrepresented as having been said by Eric Liddell in real life.

Though this may be correct, the concept of “feeling God’s pleasure” is still a true and wonderful reality for Christians. The Bible often says we are to please God. This is commanded as a goal for life and we can know when we do . . .

So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (2 Corinthians 5:6–10)

Sometimes I don’t have a chapter and verse to tell me I’ve done exactly the right thing, God often assures it by giving me a sense of His pleasure. That is not to be confused with being happy with myself. Feeling the pleasure of God comes with a certainty that God was involved. He commands and gives what is needed to do what I must do, and I know it.  Even though joyful, this is a most humbling experience.

Making His pleasure the aim of life requires focus, which is not one of my strong points. My scattered mind is quick to stray off of any set goal, never mind this high ideal. However, sensing His pleasure is such an incredible reward in the task of pleasing Him that it tends to motivate me and aid my focus.

Chambers suggest taking stock at least once a week to examine how I am doing in keeping up to this lofty goal. I find that “continually” is better than weekly. Chambers also says “Paul is like a musician who does not heed the approval of the audience if he can catch the look of approval from his Master.” Using the same analogy, it seems to me that the musician must keep his eye on his conductor all the time, rather than take for granted that he knows what he is doing without paying attention to his leader.

If my work, even my ambition moves slightly off of this focus of “pleasing God” then the music of my life goes instantly off-key. I know where my personal ambition leads. I know why I need to continually face the Lord Jesus Christ. If I go off-key too often, God’s displeasure puts a cloud over everything. This disciple of focus is very important!

But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:27)

No one wants to be “disqualified.” Besides that, Chambers says all of life must relate to that ambitious goal of pleasing God, and maintaining focus without interruption. He also sees his worth to God in public totally related to what he is in private. I agree.

Nevertheless, this class called “Focus on Christ 101” is an important and difficult course of study, particularly for a scattered mind. I’m glad that I enjoy ‘going to school’ even though this is far more challenging than many of His lessons so far.

In a spotlight?

Hosea 13:1–14:9, Acts 6:1–15, Job 17:1–16

When we graduated, my sister and I took a train trip to the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto. With remember the incredible horse show with jumpers who turned their hind quarters sideways to lift themselves over an eight foot stone wall. But my favorite moment was when a spotlight shone on the winning American Saddlebreds who then circled the ring at a rapid gait with the crowd roaring its approval.

Throughout the Bible, the people of God are in the spotlight. Sometimes this is a glorious thing, but not always. In Hosea’s time, God’s judgment on them was relentless. He said, “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take with you words and return to the Lord; say to him, ‘Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips. Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.’”

Yet He also said, “I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.” (Hosea 14:1–7) Eventually, because of the mercy of God, they would shine again under the spotlight of His grace.

Job suffered too, but for a different reason. He was being tested in every way and without knowing why all the pain and sorrow was happening. He said of God, “He has made me a byword of the peoples, and I am one before whom men spit. My eye has grown dim from vexation, and all my members are like a shadow. The upright are appalled at this, and the innocent stirs himself up against the godless.”

But even in his grief, Job ended those words with hope: “Yet the righteous holds to his way, and he who has clean hands grows stronger and stronger.” (Job 17:6–9) Job was not yet pronounced a winner, but as he grieved in the shadows, he seemed to have sensed that his victory lap was coming; he would shine in the spotlight once again.

In the NT, God put a few good men into ministry with a simple task; they needed to make sure all the widows in the church were getting enough to eat. The apostles told leaders to select seven men “of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” One of those seven was “Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit . . . .” (Acts 6:3–5)

Stephen shone. He was “full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.” But that angered some who disputed with him. They became more angry because “they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.”

So instead of learning from his wisdom, they secretly instigated others to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” This stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they seized him and brought him before the council, setting up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.”

At that, God surprised them. As they gazed at Stephen, “all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:8–15) God shone His spotlight on Stephen, showing him to be a winner, no matter what they thought or did.

I’ve been spotlighted for chastening, and then spotlighted by the shining grace of God. I’ve also been tested like Job (in much smaller ways) yet knowing God would bring me through. I’m fairly sure I’ll not be stoned to death as the religious leaders did to Stephen, but whatever happens to me, I would like to shine like he did. However, if that is not God’s plan, it’s encouraging to know that He always gives great peace to His people, and we are always in His winning circle.

Discipline first, then multiplied blessings

Being disciplined and being spontaneous seem polar opposites. How can a person be self-controlled and at the same time impulsive and do things on the spur of the moment? It seems impossible, but it happens. I think I know how it works.

First, the discipline has to be the kind God gives through the Holy Spirit. In Galatians 5, this fruit of the Spirit is called “self-discipline,” yet it is not ‘self’ doing the discipline or the controlling. This characteristic only happens in the lives of those who are filled with the Spirit of God and allow Him to guide and direct their lives.

This discipline comes in an interesting form that is more flexible than rigid. It is not about saying ‘no’ when I want to say ‘yes’ or about ‘self-denial.’ Instead, the Holy Spirit gives puts in my mind the attitudes and thoughts of Christ so that my head and heart think like He does. This replaces the ways of the old me, the sinful and selfish person that wants to be the boss. Self-control is more like “old self under God’s control.

With the Holy Spirit alive and well and living in me, I am set free from a number of things. One is the desire to sin. Another is the desire to have my own way all the time. If that sounds “restricted” or as if it isn’t much fun, there is more. With the Spirit in control, I’m not afraid of anything. I don’t worry about “what will people think” nor am I always second-guessing my ideas and plans. The Holy Spirit gives great confidence, and with that confidence comes the ability to be spontaneous. I can act on impulse, trusting that God is giving me the ideas, those ideas are good, even important, and I can confidently run with them.

So being disciplined and being spontaneous do go together, but the discipline comes first. In a passage from the Old Testament, God spoke to His people about His power and what He had done in their lives. In this middle of this passage, He speaks of discipline. Look for it . . .   

“For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether such a great thing as this has ever happened or was ever heard of. Did any people ever hear the voice of a god speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and still live? Or has any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great deeds of terror, all of which the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him. Out of heaven he let you hear his voice, that he might discipline you. And on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard his words out of the midst of the fire.” (Deuteronomy 4:32–36)

After alerting them to all He had done for them and the unique situation they were in as His people, God points to their privileged understanding that He is God; there is no other AND that He allowed them to hear Him speak — why? That He might discipline them.

This ‘discipline’ is a strong word. It is about reinforcing obedience, doing whatever it takes so His people will do as He says. In this context, and with the end result God has in mind, being disciplined by God could be uncomfortable, to say the least.

Yet His discipline has great value; it sets me free from sin, from fears and anxiety too, but from sin and its bondage. The disciple of God is an incredible gift, vital to my well-being and freedom. I love the idea of being a spontaneous person, free from all fear, but God has an even bigger picture in mind when He works on me to produce obedience. He spells it out in the next few verses . . .

“Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time.” (Deuteronomy 4:39–40)

When I respond to His discipline and obey Him, I benefit, my children benefit, and He prolongs my days, proving what His Word says: “The Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day.” (Deuteronomy 6:24)