Creator, Father, King #313

Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.

JOEY CHESTNUT IS A total hot dog—and that’s meant as a compliment!

Chestnut is a professional eater. That’s right . . . you can make a living at eating. Who knew?

In 2019, Chestnut won his twelfth title in thirteen years at the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, an annual July 4th event on Coney Island in New York City. Chestnut earned first place by eating seventy-one hot dogs (buns included) in ten minutes, collecting a $10,000 prize. Not a bad day’s work for devouring more than twenty-thousand calories in ten minutes.

Gulp.

Consuming that many hot dogs doesn’t come easily. Prior to the contest, Chestnut put in plenty of physical training. We’re not talking about weight-room bench presses, bicep curls, and burpees (although there were probably plenty of burps). For two months, Chestnut endured a specific eating regimen to transform his body into what he calls a “hot dog-digesting machine.”

To be a real wiener—er, winner—in God’s Kingdom, Christians must undergo training too. But our training is completely different. It’s training of a spiritual nature. Look at 1 Timothy 4:7-10:

Train yourself to be godly. “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.

What’s It Mean?

Notice how the Bible encourages physical training and staying in shape. But “training for godliness” is even better. That’s because the benefits of physical training will fade with age, while the benefits of spiritual training will last forever.

How do we train for godliness? Fortunately, it’s not rocket science (or training to mass-consume hot dogs), but it does take discipline, time, and commitment. Like a serious competitor, we must be devoted to God’s Word, prayer, fellowship, serving others, and consistent spiritual growth.

Most of all, training for godliness should flow not out of a sense of duty, but from our “hope . . . in the living God” (1 Timothy 4:10). Then we will receive the victor’s “crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:8) when our Lord Jesus returns!

Now What?

Make sure the time you spend in physical training is not disproportionate to your “training for godliness.”

Did You Know?

The annual Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest is broadcast on TV and online by ESPN.