The Profit We Neglect

For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. Ist Timothy 4:8

The above scripture verse is commonly quoted during health seminars buttressing how bodily exercise is biblically encouraged.

Being physically active can improve our brain health, help us manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve our ability to do everyday activities.  

However, we must note that irrespective of the benefits we can gain from bodily exercise, it is still little compared to godliness. This means that bodily exercise has a fraction of the profit, but godliness is the whole profit.

Let’s explain this with an illustration. 

Imagine an award of a mansion would be given to the Ist runner in a race competition, and just a room inside the mansion is the award for the second runner. 

A little profit of the bodily exercise is the one room in the mansion, while godliness gets the whole chunk of the profit, which is the mansion.

Do you now understand? 

As we keep fit and healthy through bodily exercise, we must not be carried away or idolise our look more than the God-life, which is more profitable here and after this life.

Godliness is the reverent awareness of God’s sovereignty over every aspect of life and the attendant determination to honour him in all one’s conduct. It is the quality or practice of conforming to the laws and wishes of God, devoutness, and moral uprightness.

Godliness is simply living the life of God.

As a believer, growing in godliness should be our major pursuit. We want to learn to be more like God. We want our lives to reflect His character so we can point others to Him. Godliness is a costly asset that never depreciates. 

To have and maintain godliness will require denial of self and pleasures that contradict the life of God and imbibing His lifestyle. It will affect how we talk, react, dress, our company, our thoughts, those we listen to/take counsel from, consistently delight and meditate on God’s word.

We cannot live a life of godliness if we don’t know God, His revealed truth, and hunger for Him.