"Inside Out", Not "Outside In"

Verse of the day: 1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

As born again believers we can make the mistake of thinking that we are being "spiritual" by the things we do. It is funny how we often care more about what others see on the outside than what is going  on in the inside. How often have we seen or met someone who seemed so physically fit, and their physique made us envious; yet, we later hear that they have been diagnosed with a fatal illness or they have died from heart failure? There are those who exercise their body, but care  little about what they take into their body; so that outwardly they look healthy, but inside they are slowly killing themselves? It is no different for us, the follower of Jesus. We Christians are sometimes good at putting on that outward facade that gives the illusion that we are mature in our faith, but in the inside we are far from God. We practice our religious rituals and abstain from speaking a certain way or doing certain things, but all that changes when we are alone, or when we think no one is watching. In 2 Timothy 3:5, the Apostle Paul describes these people as, "having a form of godliness but denying its power." In the same verse he warns, "And from such people turn away!" This would be a good time to be reminded that God is always watching, and always sees what we are doing. Not only does He see what we are doing; He sees past it and right into our hearts (1 Sam 16:7). The fact of the matter is that this is part of the problem when we find ourselves repeating the same sinful behavior over and over again. We try to overcome our sinfulness by implementing some religious ritual or process, only to find that we fail over and over again. The reason we fail is that true change does not start from the outside, and what we are doing outwardly. Instead, real change comes from the inside, and works its way outwardly to our words, actions, attitudes, and deeds. Exercise is important for the body. However, physical exercise only profits for a  short while. We grow older and our bodies do not function the same. If we fail to take care of what we put into our bodies, what we do outwardly will be of  little to no worth. It is no different for us spiritually. It profits us nothing if we are simply going through the religious motions without real change happening in the inside. That change begins with a true relationship with Jesus Christ. It begins with recognizing that our salvation, and ability to be who God wants us to be, begins with God's saving grace (Eph 2:8-9). Spiritually speaking, our bodily exercises of praying, fasting, and doing good, only truly profit us when we are being doers of the Word, as a result of trusting God, acting by faith, and knowing that all our works, in and of themselves, without Jesus are like filthy rags to God (Is 64:6). Yes, we must exercise our faith physically, but it must be as a result of true change in the inside. True change from the inside is profitable in that it is a truer indication that we are trusting Jesus alone for eternal life, and as a result, we seek to live outwardly in such a way that our words, actions, attitudes, and deeds are profitable for the spread of the Gospel and the glory of God.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing their sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).