“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”—1 Timothy 4:8.

Since the Bible says that physical training is of some value, I try to get some exercise on a fairly regular basis. My knees don’t like to run anymore, so I walk or ride a bicycle. Sometimes I do some light weightlifting.

A few years ago, I had a membership at a gym where I worked out quite often. Once they had a program where parents could bring in their pre-schoolers for some organized exercise. The youngsters had a great time running, jumping and zigzagging around. They were enjoying themselves so much that they were squealing with glee.

Meanwhile, we older athletes were making other types of noises—mostly grunting, moaning and complaining! But we kept working out because we knew that it was for our benefit.

The above Bible verse implies that we also have to put in some spiritual training in order to achieve a greater level of godliness. We can benefit from spiritual workouts as well as physical ones.

New Christians tend to gleefully do their Bible reading, prayer and service to the Lord. Sometimes we older Christians have to remember to be joyful as we get our spiritual exercise. If we keep in mind the benefits of godly training—both for this life and the life to come—maybe our exercise sessions will be more enjoyable. Who knows, we might even squeal a little bit!