YOUR HEART CONDITION

“For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things…” —1 Timothy 4:8

I like to walk… jog… and run. Anyone who does a lot of walking or running knows the importance of a good pair of shoes. I prefer Asics. I’ve gone through three pairs. It is generally agreed by sporting authorities that running shoes should be replaced between 300 – 500 miles, depending on your weight and the type of surface you run on. Figuring on running 25 miles a week, running shoes should be replaced about every 4 – 5 months.

I’m due to replace my third pair of Asics. They’ve got about 500 miles on them. They still look like new on the outside since most of my running is indoors on a treadmill. However, the insides are shot! The heel lining is tearing and after 500 miles of pounding, the padding no longer cushion the impact on my feet.

My point is this— While we may look great on the outside of our lives (we attend church regularly… we serve in ministries… we carry a King James Bible… we live separated lives, etc.), the inside of our life may be falling apart. The Pharisees of Jesus’ day looked great on the outside, but on the inside they were corrupt.

Maybe it is time for you to inspect the inside of your spiritual running shoes. While bodily exercise may profit a little (1 Tim 4:8), God is mostly concerned about your spiritual “heart condition” (Prov. 4:23). Remember, “Man looketh on the the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” —1 Samuel 16:7