Read Ephesians 5:1-2
Following God daily involves imitating His qualities and teachings, showing love, kindness, and compassion to others, and seeking His guidance in decisions. As Christians, this means we must develop spiritual muscles to discipline ourselves, spirit, soul, and body. This is referred to as “muscular Christianity”.
Just as athletes discipline their bodies to compete in athletic events, Christians must also build up their spiritual lives to get tough in areas of weakness. For a basketball player to do a proper layup, the player must practice over and over to achieve his goal. However, if they don’t follow the correct techniques, it doesn’t matter how often they practice. It won’t be right. This applies to our spiritual training. We must rely on God’s word as our model, and develop spiritual muscles to overcome our sin nature and defeat darkness. Muscular Christianity ties in with Ephesians 5:1-2 by emphasizing the importance of living a life of discipline and self-sacrifice, just as Christ sacrificed for humanity.
Following Christ’s examples makes our lives “a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:2). Walking in the way of love and unselfishness aligns with the principles of “muscular Christianity”, which encourages physical and spiritual discipline for a higher purpose.
After careful consideration, please answer the following questions.
- List specific examples of how participating in sports can enhance our walk with God.
- How would you describe “muscular Christianity” and its relationship to Ephesians 5:1-2?
- Describe how you personally develop “muscular Christianity”.
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