We have a little Chinese Buffet in our small town and their buffet is awesome. I love to go there for Africa Chicken, Rice, Egg rolls, and many other delicacies. Of course, you know what a buffet is; eat all you can and make as many trips as needed. Americans like seconds, and thirds, and fourths, if possible. All of this overeating is under close scrutiny and even if we aren’t getting healthier, at least we are thinking about it. I know my salt intake is going down to help me become more healthy and I don’t eat near as much as I used to. I am totally off Diet Cokes and I once again think water is a pretty good option. I have downloaded the app “couch to a 5k” and have actually completed the full course. Yay!!! I will probably do this for a certain amount of time and then I will be tempted by a tasty “mchuge burger” and the whole thing will slide again. I will then start the process over again and here we go. As we all know, those models in all the clothing catalogs really don’t eat and they live a very deprived, good looking life. So much for that!!!
In 1 Timothy 4:6-8 Paul tries to keep everything in perspective by speaking to possibly a mix up of priorities. His desire for Timothy is to make Godly discipline the main priority in his life and not physical discipline. Now this is not an excuse for not staying in shape and taking care of our bodies, but Godly discipline is definitely positioned ahead of physical discipline. It’s a matter of which is the foundational activity, staying in shape physically or spiritually? Paul comes down on the side of the spiritual discipline and evens says, “bodily discipline is of little profit, but Godliness is profitable for everything.” Here’s how I look at it. Bodily discipline is one of the things offered on the buffet table. Spiritual discipline is the restaurant itself. When you have the most important thing taken of the others fall in line. In other words, if your spiritual discipline is up to date, then your other disciplines will fall into place, like bodily discipline. You know things are out of whack when one of the minors overtakes the major, and that is where the wive’s tails Paul is talking about gets some credibility. It’s because the major thing in life has fallen to the same level as one of the minors and the truth is compromised and wrong. That fall is against what God wants in our lives and we shouldn’t even get close to the cliff. Keep everything in perspective by making the main thing the main thing and everything else where it is to be in the pecking order. Just as a point of reference. I don’t think I have ever heard of anyone over studying God’s word or living too Godly a life. That’s not gonna happen, but it should be the very gas that fuels our life engine. If we will keep things in the right perspective, then all the others will become more permanent and lasting, like exercise, diets, and other lifestyle choices. Keep Godliness Number 1 and just see what will happen. It will be lasting, whatever it is. In verse 8 Paul gives a promise that if Godliness is taken care of then it holds promise for today and the days to come. That is good….real good. Want to get a hold on to today, then begin today and every day with God. Then He will put a buffet table before you that will have the best tasting life choices possible, and His words to you will be…..EAT!!!
The Pilgrimage continues…
David Warren