The best of both worlds
“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come” (NLT) 1 Timothy 4:8
What will you consider as the smartest way to live? In our materialistic society, smart people are those who know how to play the game of wealth accumulation. Whether by hook or by crook, as long as one becomes wealthy, the fellow is considered smart. This distorted, lopsided view about smartness has driven a lot of people to many sorrows and perpetual death (1 Timothy 6:10). Just cast your eyes around and you will see an overwhelming number of wealthy people who have come to a sudden ruin because of their carnal thinking that pursuing wealth is all that there is to life. A purely materialistic society without recourse to the ordinances of God eventually crumbles under the weight of despair. For without God, man is nothing!
What then is the smartest way to live? Philosophers and sages of this world have tried to answer that, but all their efforts have proven futile because they did not retain God in their knowledge (Romans 1:21-23). The Judeo-Christian worldview provides the best and most trustworthy way:
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (NLT) Matthew 6:33
“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come” (NLT) 1 Timothy 4:8
Until you seek for the Lord’s kingdom, that is his church (Matthew 16:18) and pursue the righteous acts therein by your obedience to his word, you have not yet started living, not to talk of being smart. Harsh as this may sound, if one is not added to the Lord’s church (Acts 2:47) as the 3,000 souls who were baptised on the Pentecost were added to the church of Christ (Acts 2:41), one cannot reap the benefits in the life to come. It is in the Lord’s kingdom that one finds the resources to exercise true godly training, any other path will be a dead end (Romans 10:1-3).
Once one is added to the Lord’s church through his obedience to the gospel, his entire goal and preoccupation should be training in godliness. Two fundamental spiritual workout for the Christian is meditation on God’s word and a consistent prayer life. It’s very sad that we find time to wash down, eat, work, go for lectures, make love, etc. but when it comes to these two critical spiritual exercises we easily find excuses. When we find time to meet our physical needs and neglect the spiritual needs, we reap benefits of this life, which is passing away with its fleeting pleasures (1 John 2:17). Surely that is not the smartest way to live. Training for godliness promises us benefits for this life and the life hereafter. I don’t know about you but for me I want the best of both worlds.
P.S. To learn more about Christ and his church and how you can be added to his church (Acts 2:47), please contact me through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..