The Benefits of Physical and Spiritual Exercise

The Benefits of Physical and Spiritual Exercise

1 Timothy 4:8 - "For physical exercise is of some value but godliness has value for all things."
I have always read that verse and imagined the meaning to be - Don't bother with physical exercise. It is not worth much. But after taking better care of my physical body, I now understand the many benefits of physical exercise.
Here are but a few:
Reduce the risk of premature death.
Reduce the risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease.
Reduce the risk of developing or lower high blood pressure.
Reduce high cholesterol.
Reduce risks of colon cancer, breast cancer, or developing diabetes.
Reduce or maintain body weight or body fat.
Build and maintain healthy muscles, bones and joints.
Reduce depression, anxiety and improve overall psychological well-being.
I now see physical exercise as a very huge value in ones life BUT scripture tells us that even more so we need to train ourselves in the spiritual as that has even greater benefits!
What are the benefits of spiritual exercise? 1 Timothy 4 speaks of these:
Vs 7-8: Become a woman of Godliness. Becoming more like Christ
benefits not only this present life but the life to come.
Vs 12: Become a woman who is an example. Oh how we need godly women
to follow! Those who are godly in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in
purity.
Vs 14: Become a woman used of God. God has gifted you for a specific
purpose! We don't want to neglect what God has given us.
Vs 15: Become a woman of diligence; one who is wholly given to these
matters. Keep going! Keep on keeping on! Why? So others will see our
progress. We benefit the harder we exercise our spirit so that we can be a
witness of God in us and glorify Him in the process of living our lives.
Vs 16: Become a woman who perseveres. As we continue to watch our lives and
follow closely the doctrine God has given us we are saving ourselves
and those who hear us. We need not say a word; others watch us too and
"hear" our actions. Would they be saved by watching how we exercise
our spirits?
We want to care for our bodies that we have been given but for many striving to be physically fit has become an obsession. We want to grow spiritually and I think it is right for us to strive after godliness and holiness until it becomes our sacred obsession!
Kathy