If you put these instructions before the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with profane myths and old wives’ tales. Train yourself in godliness, for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. These are the things you must insist on and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:6-16, NRSV)
It is good for us to be physically fit, and to train, but the advice given to Timothy applies to all of us, we must also train yourself in godliness.
Train yourself.
What happens when you train yourself physically? Ask any physical trainer or someone who has worked with a trained professional to train physically. If you do not know what you are doing you can injure yourself, and possibly kill yourself. If you are out of shape and trying to get fit you need to get the advice of a doctor and a physical trainer to get you started correctly.
But the advice to Timothy on godliness training is to train himself. Is this safe?
When we read the bible and train ourselves in godliness, we base all we read and know on what we have been taught or brought up in. This is not bad, but it is also not good. There is a reason we gather as a community, so we are not lone wolves. We need community, and where 2 or 3 of us are gathered there is Jesus, so to do it on our own could cause injuries to ourselves and to others.
Godliness is conforming to the wishes of God. By being one who upholds the law and always does what is in the rules, is that what God wants? Look at the life of Jesus and what He did and what His disciples did. They did not keep the law, they used the law to the benefit of the kingdom, and when it needed to be bent, it was bent.
We are to be followers of what God is calling us and leading us to do, not a specific reading of His word, that is what we have always been taught. We need to work together and become more like Jesus.
aSacredRebel 