1 Timothy 3-4 -- Train AND Serve

“Train yourself to serve God.  Training your body helps you in some ways, but serving God helps you in every way by bringing you blessings in this life and in the future life, too.”

 

I might not have noticed this if it hadn’t been football season.  The guys are having workouts every day, getting stronger, faster, and smarter.  But if they never played a game, there wouldn’t be a whole lot of use to what they’re doing.  That new strength and speed, and those newly memorized plays, have a purpose – to win football games.

 

Paul tells us to train ourselves to serve God.  It’s not enough just to train to do that.  The serving is the reason for the training!  The training might bless us in this life, he said, but serving God blesses us both in this life and in the next.  Yes, we’ll be in heaven, but God will somehow reward us there for our service.  It’s impossible for us to imagine how that could be, but He certainly tells us it will be more than worth it!

 

Father, thank You for last night.  You’ve had me training for serve, and last night I so loved getting to serve – walking through professions of faith and rededications with young men, helping them to find faith or restore faith in their lives.  That’s what we’re here for, training for, Father.  Thank You for letting me get on the field again last night!

 

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford