We are familiar with trying to get the best value – whether it’s doing the weekly shop, making clothes last a little longer or putting in an offer for a house. Had you realised that getting the best value in life is something the Bible speaks of? Consider this:
“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” (1 Timothy 4:7-8, NIV).
Now, I ‘enjoy’ pounding the pavements in the early morning as much as the next person! Notice that Paul doesn’t decry such efforts. They are indeed of some value: as a result, I’m more alert, I sleep better and I’m fitter.
But there is something even more valuable, he says: godliness. There will never be a time, an activity, a situation or a place when godliness won’t be what I need. It has value “for all things”, even for “the present life”. The trouble is, it’s tempting to think I can get by without it. Other things seem more pressing and, well, useful. We ‘train’ in all sorts of things: sports, of course, but also music, exams, computer games, gardening, cooking. They are of some value. But are we getting the best value?