Championships happen all year long. I may be biased, but the greatest celebration in all of sports occurs as the World Series champions dog pile on the infield. No matter the sport, think about what happens when a championship is won. It’s the moment when all the ups and downs of a season matter no more. It’s a time when the work in the gym has finally paid off. It’s a time when the extra effort before and after practice proves beneficial. It’s a time when all the sacrifice and dedication showed worthwhile. As a team dog piles on the field or court, it’s a time when all the hard work, all the pain, all sweat, blood, and tears finally pay off as a dream becomes a reality. 

            Thinking about the hard work of an athlete forces me to think about the words of the Apostle Paul as he writes to his protégé Timothy. He says, “Do not waste your time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be goldy. Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come” (1 Tim. 4:7-8). In other words, Paul says not to worry so much about things that are not as important, but to worry about things that do have importance. What is even more interesting is the Greek word “gymnasio,” which is translated into English as “train.” Can you guess what English word comes to mind when you hear the word “gymnasio?” That’s right, “gym.” Think about what happens in a gym. Athletes work hard in a gym. People use the gym to train for good health and athletic performance. A gym is where hard work is put in and sweat, blood, and tears are shed. 

            Have you figured out what Paul is saying yet? Paul wants us to train in godliness the same way an athlete would train for a championship. I wonder what would happen if we all thought about our spiritual health as we think about our physical health. Paul says that physical training has value, but spiritual training has greater value. My prayer for all of us is that we would think about how important our spiritual life is and that we would create a training program so we can become more Godly. Who knows, maybe one day all Christians will dog pile in the green pastures inside of the pearly white gates.