Faithful Training
Lent on the Run — Day 23
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.
— 1 Timothy 4:7b–8
The pandemic was a rough time for so many. Not only did we lose many of our fellow humans. Not only did millions got sick, with many of those suffering long-term effects from their COVID infection.
We also had many workers suffer from burnout. The thing is, we were not caring for our mental selves in the same way we were being asked to care for our physical selves.
Now I am sure you see that verse and think this is a lecture on being closer to God to better prevent burnout, but honestly, I don’t think that is what this verse is necessarily calling us to. For me, godliness is about how close we are reflecting God’s grace. Yes, in some ways, our reflection of God’s grace can play out in how close our relationship is, but I think it can also be defined by understanding the nature of what it means to be godly.
Not to be “god.”
Rathe to be godly, to reflect God’s grace, kindness, and mercy. This is a calling to mental health as much as we may want to consider it a call to spiritual health. Namely, a healthy lifestyle is not built solely in one form. I can be the most perfect physical specimen, but my mental health can be absolute shit.
In order to truly find a centering understanding of health, we must train ourselves in the nature of life—“godliness,” as we often define it from a Christian understanding. The deeper sense of self that is gained when we care for our entire selves.
It is going beyond the physical. It is examining the mental, spiritual, and emotional. We are a whole human being, and the whole human being deserves to be trained, grown, and nurtured.
How are you nurturing your full self?
Lent Photo-A-Day
For the Whole Series
Don’t forget their will be no devotion on Sunday, keep tuned in for the series to continue on Monday.
