My favorite place to visit in the small mining town where we live is the nearby cattle ranch. It is a huge, well-kept farm with four dams, many smooth dirt roads, and lots of wide-open spaces. Sometimes, we’ll see a flock of guinea fowl and occasionally the odd jackal.
But my favorite time to visit the farm is late on Sunday afternoon. Often, we’ll stay and watch the sunset. And what I most love doing is going for a walk or cycling. I love breathing in the clean, fresh, cool air and enjoying the sights and smells of the farm while exercising.
As wonderful and important as exercise is, something is even more valuable. We learn from Paul that pursuing godliness has value for all things.
According to an online dictionary, living in godliness entails reflecting the nature of the kingdom of God during everyday life. This includes displaying the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Obeying Jesus and developing our relationship with Him should be more important than going to the gym, keeping fit, or following a training or exercise program. Paul acknowledges that physical training does have some value. Keeping healthy, strong, and fit is essential, but should not be our priority.
Our bodies are temporary. They only last while we are alive. Pursuing godliness, however, has eternal value. We are here primarily to do God’s will and build His kingdom.
Take a moment to assess your priorities. Who or what takes first place in your life? Jesus promised that everything else would be added to us if we sought Him first. So, fix your eyes on Jesus and ensure that nothing is more important than Him.
Heather Ferguson and her husband, Dave, live in Zambia, in Southern Africa. They have two daughters, Stacey and Tiffany. Heather trained as a teacher and taught in a primary school in Zimbabwe. She later taught music at a school in Zambia when she and her family relocated there.