Welcome to today's encouragement from your friends at Our Daily Bread.

The devotional for today titled Spiritual Fitness was written by Arthur Jackson.

Trey is a regular at the fitness center, and it shows. His shoulders are wide,

his muscles pronounced, and his upper arms are close to the size of my thighs. His physical

condition prompted me to engage him in a spiritual conversation. I asked him if his commitment to

physical fitness in some way mirrored a healthy relationship with God. Though we didn't go too deep,

Trey did acknowledge God in his life. We talked long enough for him to show me a picture of the 400-pound,

unfit, unhealthy version of himself. A change in his lifestyle had worked wonders physically.

In 1 Timothy chapter 4, verses 6 through 10, physical and spiritual training come into focus. It says,

train yourself to be godly, for physical training is of some value, Paul writes, but godliness

has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

One's external fitness doesn't change our status with God, our spiritual fitness is a matter of the

heart. It begins with a decision to believe in Jesus through whom we receive forgiveness.

From that point, training for godly living begins. This includes being

nourished on the truths of the faith and of good teaching, and by God's strength, living a life

that honors our Heavenly Father.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 1 Timothy chapter 4,

verses 6 through 10.

If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the

truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with

godless myths and old wives' tales. Rather, train yourself to be godly. 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. This is a trustworthy saying

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