New Year’s Day usually comes with resolutions. “This year I want to ….” Surveys show that about 50% of those who make New Year’s resolutions plan to exercise more. While bodily exercise does profit (for a little time), it pails in comparison to spiritual exercise. The Apostle Paul exhorted Timothy, “But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself unto godliness” (I Tim. 4:7).
When you exercise, you train in some area; you exert yourself in order to maintain or develop physical fitness. For exercise to have effect, you must be disciplined. You establish a routine, and you make yourself do it. Developing new patterns is difficult, but consistency pays off.
The same thing is true when you exercise yourself unto godliness. Once you understand from the Bible what you should do, decide you will do it, establish a routine, and then do it. Commit to doing what the Bible says, and don’t stop. Read your Bible every day, pray, attend church regularly, evangelize, have family devotions, guard your thoughts. Establishing new patterns can be difficult; but with consistency, you will get stronger.