Continued from previous article:
3. Training for Life is of greater benefit than Training for Death
This seems like an obvious statement. But as I peered through those windows, I saw myself on those treadmills. How many times have I made working out a priority over reading my Bible? How many times have I been too tired to pray but not too tired to watch my favorite television show? How many times have I chosen to do something pleasurable for the present, instead of something profitable for others and eternity? It is a constant struggle to prioritize the eternal over the physical even though I know the overwhelming benefits. Make no mistake, we all have responsibilities God has given us and talents to hone but let us never feel so alive in the natural that we forget the importance of life in the spiritual. Let us heed Paul’s words as he instructed his young protégé Timothy, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8)
With so much emphasis put on ability, appearance, and attainment we must intentionally shift our focus to that which is eternal. At some point, we will all transfer memberships from the gym to the grave. When that day comes what of this life will truly matter? Today, what have we done to strengthen our spiritual muscles? Like their physical counterparts, the sinews and fibers that lead us to hear the promptings of the Spirit, serve others, share the Gospel and love one another can be built up as well as torn down. Spiritual atrophy leaves us weak and vulnerable to temptation, but vigorous training produces a lifestyle of godliness with rewards in this life and beyond.
Looking at this paradox, I was reminded that each of us must find our place in the vibrant vigor of the gym on the right and the silent sterility of the cemetery on the left. Life passes quickly. One minute we are alive and well and the next we are savoring every last moment with the ones we love. While the cemetery, with its raised tombs and synthetic flowers appears so conclusive, it is actually a continuation, a virtual gateway to the final destination of those who are alive in Christ on earth and those who remained dead in their sin. In these earthen plots, there are those who, as we mourn the expiration of their bodies, are even more alive than we, rejoicing and celebrating in the presence of the Almighty.
In my experience, the gym can be a very deceptive place. Strategically placed mirrors, loud motivating music, and the adrenaline of competition provide a brief escape from the real woes of the day. In the gym of life, however, our innate depravity, compounded by the goals we set, the achievements we earn, the failures we try to forget, and the grief we endure, has the same masking effect, blinding us from identifying our condition, DEATH, and addressing our greatest need, LIFE. Christ ALONE illuminates our world, exposing our darkness and fulfilling our need. Knowing our condition, knowing our need, His words give us hope:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of DEATH into LIFE.” –John 5:24
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