…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 4:8, NIV)
Have you made the mistake of clicking on one of those short video reels that feature golf-specific exercises on a social media platform?
The latest one I looked at this morning shows a senior tour player doing rotational work with about 100 pounds on a barbell, box jumps, cable pulls, and explosive lunges.
No wonder these players are not losing yardage! Training our bodies is very important for many reasons, including playing better golf, and using training tools to work on the swing can help.
Of course, now that Facebook knows my interest in golf training and tools, I am seeing all kinds of training tools pop up in my feed.
The latest list of Christmas gifts included the Blue Block, Speed Sticks, and the Tour Striker. These tools will help me convey proper swing positions to my granddaughters and my staff.
One of my clients traded his SkyTrak system for some design work, and now our office garage has become a place where lunch breaks have turned into golf practice. Training the next generation of golfers with proper tools reminded me of Paul’s training of young Timothy.
Timothy’s story begins in Acts 16 (1-5). He was young and “learned by doing,” making mistakes along the way, but Paul was patient with him. Timothy likely became a believer after his first missionary journey and joined Paul for his other journeys.
1 Timothy is one of two personal letters written to Timothy. Chapter 4 provides instructions to Timothy for the church elders in Ephesus, where Paul had left him to oversee a young church.
Paul was aging and near the end of his life, but his desire to continue his mission had not faded, and Timothy had become like a son to Paul.
Paul entrusted Timothy with important responsibilities and helped build up his confidence as a leader. Timothy had a Greek/Jewish background and was so committed to the mission of sharing the Gospel that he was circumcised as an adult to avoid potential problems where audiences would be made up of Jews concerned about keeping strictly to tradition.
Paul’s training method was to lead by example and help young Timothy build spiritual muscle and a stronger belief in what God has provided. He became strong and courageous as described in Joshua 1:9:
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
As a Links Player, are you in shape both physically and spiritually? Training to be godly doesn’t take fancy tools; it takes discipline, the Holy Spirit’s power, and the Bible. Create your “spiritual workout” daily to build spiritual muscle and experience God’s amazing power.
Prayer: Lord, we need to work out our salvation daily with you. Help us know what to do, where to go, and how to do it through our prayers.