December 30 2025

Tuesday December 30

“Discipline Yourself…” 

1 Timothy 4:7-9

“But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.”

Welcome to Pastor’s Chat. Today we are looking at 1 Timothy 4:7. Before we do that, however, I need to ask you to join me in special prayer for a dear, dear friend, John Farel. John is in the hospital this morning in Fairfax, Virginia, undergoing a kidney transplant. It’s a long story, but God has been so gracious to bring him to this point where a donor was available. I ask that you would pray for John and for his donor—that the surgery would be successful for both, that the kidney would function properly in his body, and that God would help him and the donor to recover quickly. His precious wife, Jennifer, is there with him today, and I know they would deeply appreciate your prayers.

I have known John since he was born. His parents, Eric and Betsy Farel, were dear friends of ours during my first pastorate in Winchester, Virginia. We ask that you would keep John in your prayers today and in the days to come. We will give you an update as soon as we receive one. Thank you, in advance, for praying for John Farel and for this kidney transplant surgery that is taking place right now.

As we turn to this passage of Scripture in 1 Timothy chapter 4, we are reminded—especially as we enter a new year—that we have tremendous responsibilities as believers. We are called to be a light in the world, to live a godly life, a life that is different. We have been talking about this in Ephesians chapter 4. As we close out one year and begin another, I want to encourage you, as best I can, to discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.

Here is what Paul told Timothy: “But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.” (1 Timothy 4:7–9)

Paul says, in effect, This is trustworthy. This is something you need to do. And by the grace of God, it is something you can do as you humble yourself and surrender yourself to the will of God. This is more than just a commitment—it is a surrender. I remind you, as I have said so often, quoting Oswald Chambers, “The only right you have is the right to give up the right to yourself.” That is something you do daily. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:31, “I die daily.” Yes, we die to the flesh, and we live to the Spirit. Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” And then Paul goes on to say, “that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death”. You and I have been set free in Christ Jesus—something we have been talking about extensively in Ephesians chapter 4.

This matter of discipline is very important. The word discipline comes from the world of athletics and training. It speaks of intentional, consistent effort—not occasional inspiration. I remember when I was in high school, I was asked to play on a summer baseball team, and I did quite well. As a result, I was invited to play on the high school baseball team at Princeton High School in North Cincinnati. We had a really good team, and it looked like we were going to win a state championship. I worked my way up to being the leadoff batter.

I’ll tell you, I started thinking I might play Major League Baseball. Because of that, I made some decisions. I determined that I was not going to eat things I shouldn’t eat. I wasn’t going to drink alcohol, party, or put drugs into my body. I disciplined my body for the sake of becoming the best baseball player I could be, with the goal of playing in the major leagues. I also have a grandson who is training with the goal of becoming a Navy SEAL. Just the other day, I learned that he ran 50 miles on the beach—20 miles in the soft sand and 30 miles in the hard sand. All the time, I see him training, running, and exercising. Why? So that he can fulfill his goal of becoming a SEAL one day. And I believe he is going to make it, based on his discipline.

That’s what an athlete does. That’s what a soldier does. Paul told Timothy to “be a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” (Read 2 Timothy 2:3-5).  Over the next few days, I want to encourage you with some spiritual disciplines—things we will talk about together—that you can practice. These are disciplines I learned as a young believer so that I could grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ and be all that God wanted me to be.

God bless you as we prepare for a new year. We are living in a time of crisis in this world, and God knows we must do all we can and be all we can be for His glory. By His grace we can make a difference in this world before Jesus comes again.

God bless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.