Sunday Devo - November 8, 2026

1 Timothy 4:8, For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

Many people are willing to discipline themselves to be more beautiful, to get promoted, be recognized and honored, or even to make more money. However, discipline done for selfish reasons as these usually leaves a person empty. Man is more than just a physical being. He is a spiritual being as well as a physical being. And just as the physical side of him needs exercise and nourishment, so does the spiritual nature. This is all about getting our priorities right – it’s about the right balance between the physical and material life – and our spiritual life. You see, not only does an athlete have to refuse to eat the wrong things, she has to make sure she eats and takes in all the right things too and in a balanced way.

So the question is this: ‘Are you working on your own personal spiritual walk with God?’. Are you consistently practicing the spiritual disciplines of prayer and Bible study (V.16)? We immerse ourselves in the Word of God wherein God speaks to us, and in prayer, whereby we speak to Him.

Are you training yourself to be more yielded to the Holy Spirit, to be more loving, to be more joyful, to be more peaceable, to be more patient, to show more compassion, have more humility, to be more self-controlled, to be more content? Can you look back and see your progress in godliness over the years?
One of the good things about going regularly to the gym is when you look back to when you first started and you realize that you’ve actually made progress. You can lift more now than when you started. You can run faster or further.
But I wonder how often we look back on our spiritual life, and notice the growth we’ve made in godliness. If we can see that sort of growth in our spiritual life, it’ll be an encouragement to keep training. To keep growing in our closeness and love for God.
If we can’t see that sort of growth, then let it be a spur to us to pursue godliness, to get into training while we can-it takes discipline and spiritual sweat!   Pastor Mike