A bit faded or worn?

“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” (I Timothy 4:8 NLT)

The present life seems to get a whole lot of our attention, but not always in a way that adds value to our lives in the long run. Some of the attention we give it is momentary - like good personal hygiene. It needs continual focus or the value of that 'hygiene' fades/wears away. Before long, we need to refocus on it once again. Our spiritual life is no different - it needs renewed focus from time to time because the effect of it has faded a bit or worn away.

The more we focus on whatever gives lasting value (like the study of scripture or time in worship), the more we find the renewal we are experiencing isn't really our doing - it is God's. The value to us is realized because he has added it through getting to know Jesus just a bit better. For some of us, the life to come gets far less attention that the life we have in front of us presently. The imbalance is felt more than you might think.

If we want 'value added' into our lives, we might think it will require endless hours in the scripture, prayer, worship, or 'retreats'. The truth is found in where we place our priorities, not in the volume of 'time' we invest in the pursuit of 'true value'. If God gets our best, the time we spend there in those moments may not add up to much, but they add much into our lives! 

The value given is immense compared to the percentage of time we spend investing in spiritual 'training'. What promise does God hold for you today in the way of blessing, provision, renewal, or insight? The 'value' is found in pursuing what he has in store. We might only find that once we make the investment of time and our attention to allow that spiritual growth to occur.

It isn't just 'time' - it is the investment of our heart focus. Where are our emotions right now? What is receiving our attention? Who is our priority? The direction our heart takes today will determine the 'value' we get out of the 'training'. It may not seem like much, but maintenance of a relationship with God is vital to our well-being. Just sayin!