| Training to be godly! |
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Train yourself to be godly!
I Tim 4:7-15
Athletes go into strict training in their discipline to be able to succeed in the competition; they hit the weight rooms, the running tracks and so forth, they want to be ready to compete in the season. After you become a Christian, you too must go through training in order to live godly lives. No one develops Christ’s character and attitude without discipline and training. Michael Jordan didn’t get up on day and became the best basketball player; he went through a lot of shooting layups, dribbling passing, and everything that had to do with his game of basketball. Sometimes you hear people say, I used to play this sport, but I am not good at it anymore, why? He or she stopped training. I use to speak French or Spanish but I don’t know much anymore, why? Because they stopped training, practicing, using it. And when you don’t use it, you lose it. For us Christian to develop the character of Christ and his behavior and habits is going to require strict training also.
Paul encouraged Timothy, a young preacher, known also as Paul’s son in the faith, to train himself to be godly. This can be hard, because most people don’t like discipline, they might not be committed enough to see results in their lives. People who start programs, weight loss programs, free from addiction, learning a language program see results when they a committed to do those things that their program requires. Some of those things may be easy to do, but others may require more effort, more training in order to be succeed. No pain no gain! This is what this is all about.
Paul like to use athletic metaphors to illustrate our Christian lives and our pursue of becoming more like Jesus in our character and behaviors.
I Cor.9:24-25 Those who compete go into strict training to get a prize that will not last forever; we go through strict training to get a prize (crown) that last forever.
I tim.4:7-15
Paul repeats the importance of our training.
1. Training for godliness starts with the Word of God. In verse 6 we are informed how Timothy was nourished in the truth. 2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” No one can be thoroughly equipped without the word of God. Even though Timothy was instructed at a very young age, he was encouraged by Paul to continue his training in godliness. In our passage Paul talks about the importance of godliness. Godliness is valuable in every way. It holds promises in this life and life to come (v8)
The Galatia Christians were also instructed in the elementary truths of God’s word but apparently they stopped their training and Paul wrote to them to reprimand them. Gal.5:7 “You were running a good race who prevented you from obeying the truth?” It is as though Paul was telling them, you were doing so well, but then you began to backslide in dangerous territory.
When we don’t see progress in our own lives as Christians, when we feel that we are not growing into the character of Christ or in his likeness; usually it is because we have neglected our training to be godly. We have stopped preparing ourselves, disciplining ourselves to do the things God is calling us to do.
2 Training is going to require hard work and commitment. No pain, no gain!
Notice the language Paul used here in verse 10 “and for this we labor and strive” This is an “I live for this” moment. Paul likes to use the athletic metaphors in Col.1:28 “We labor and struggle with his energy to present everyone perfect (mature). This living for God thing is going to require hard work, if we want to be mature Christians is going to require effort and commitment on our parts.
In Verse 12 Paul encouraged Timothy to be a role model for others in the way he talked, the way he lived, in love, in faith, and in purity. Those traits don’t come easily. It’s going to require discipline. Training your speech pattern, people who struggle with cursing can train themselves not to curse when something bad happens to them. What kind of role models are you for those who are just beginning the Christian walk? We know that even in the realm of sports we encountered bad role models, and good ones. Paul told some Christians once, be imitators of me as imitate Christ example. What kind of role models are we in the way we live, in the way we talk, in our love for others, in our faith, and in purity? All these things are going to require hard work in order to be exemplary role models Christ is calling us to be. Nevertheless, remember the Holy Spirit is going to be right there with us every step of the way. We labor with his energy, not ours.
The language of commitment and discipline:
v.13 Devote, (commit) yourself to public reading, to preaching and teaching
v.14 Do not neglect (forsake, take for granted) your gift
v.15 Be diligent (take pain) in these matters. Give yourself wholly to them. Be sold out to the cause.
16 Watch your life and you doctrine (teaching) closely. Persevere in them. Don’t quit!
If we truly want to grow and develop the character of Christ, his behavior and habits, then we need to persevere in our training to be godly.
Bill Hull, author of the book “Jesus Christ disciplemaker” said “The will to win is not enough. It is the will to prepare to win”
The will to be like Christ is not enough, it is the will to train yourself to be like him.
Let me leave you with some tools to start and/or to continue your training in godliness.
-Start with God’s word: read, study, and memorize scriptures
-Prayer
-silence and solitude, just you and God alone, without interruptions
-fasting, you make sacrifice to just depend on God, giving up something for God.
Eugene Peterson uses a great gardening metaphor of spiritual disciplines.
“The soil is our soul. The rain and the sunshine are like the Word and prayer. They are needed regularly. But then there is solitude, fasting, frugality. They are like gardening tools that are leaning against the wall. At some point you have to weed your garden, so you go over and get the tool for weeding. At other times, you need other tools for other uses.”
These tools help us develop the character of Christ. The practice of these disciplines is about pursuing the presence of God.
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