I Timothy 4:7 “Train yourself to be Godly.” The great Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympic athlete in history with 28 medals over all, 23 which are gold. Phelps trains six hours a day, six days a week, holidays included. He swims 50 miles a week which is over 8 miles a day. It’s no wonder he is as successful as he is.
Paul challenges us in I Timothy 4:7 to train to be Godly. The word “train” means to exercise or train naked, and to exert intensely like a pro athlete presumes full discipline, necessary to be in "top working condition.” That really puts how much time, energy, and effort into being Godly into perspective. To train naked is a funny and scary thought. I also would not advise anyone to train for anything naked. That would be down right embarrassing for you and for everyone around you. Let’s put this into perspective. When we train to be Godly, there are some things we must strip off. First, we must strip away every thought that would hinder our training and focus on the task at hand. The enemy loves to distract us from doing the things that result in us being more Christlike. How many times have you began praying and stray thoughts begin to jump into your mind. Thoughts of things you need to do that day, places you need to go, and what’s for dinner. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Secondly, we must strip away the things of the world. The more like God we become, the less like the world we are. I John 2:15-16 tells us “15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” We must strip away anything that would hinder our training or keep us from becoming more Godly. Paul also says that we should train to be Godly like a pro athlete trains to be in top working condition. Imagine how much more like Christ we would be if we prayed, studied His Word, worshipped, and putting action behind our faith six hours a day, six days a week, including holidays. Think about what we could accomplish for the Kingdom of God if we were to train to be Godly in that way. Imagine the dreams and prayers that we prayed that would become reality. WOW!!! If you’re like me, you don’t always feel like getting out of bed and spending time with God in His Word and prayer. It’s difficult on many days and takes lots of self discipline. Paul writes in I Corinthians 9:25 “Everyone who competes goes into strict training.” Self discipline is the key to being Godly. How’s your training going? Are you putting the time and effort into being Godly that the Apostle Paul says you should? We don’t often think about how much effort it takes to be Godly. We don’t often consider the high importance and priority it should have in our lives. To train to be Godly like a pro athlete trains to be in top condition clearly defines where it should be in our list of priorities. So I encourage and challenge you today. Start training hard today. Don’t put it off. Train to be in top Godly condition in order to be successful at what He has called you to day. Your word for today is “TRAIN!”
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