For many who follow Christ – maybe even for most of us – the way we see God is skewed by our personal experience of our human father.  If we had a kind, wise, and giving Dad, but he was always busy, we might see God as not having time to help us.  If we had a taskmaster, we might see the hardships in our lives as God’s cold control over us.  Neither is the case with the Triune God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  He is gracious, involved, and intentional to use all things in our lives to train us in faith and godliness so that we delight more and more in Him.

May the following music videos and related Scriptures encourage you in our Lord as your personal trainer – tough but tenacious in His love for His people.

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:14‭-‬17)

Make me to know your ways, O Lord ; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day long.  Remember your mercy, O Lord , and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.  Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord ! Good and upright is the Lord ; therefore He instructs sinners in the way.” (Psalm 25:4‭-‬‬8)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:17‭-‬19)

“But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.” (Titus 2:1‭-‬6)

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19‭-‬20)

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,  who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:11-14)

God’s Word is filled with similar images of physical fitness that communicate spiritual principles of fitness: running the good race, boxing the air, eating well, resting, etc.

Through another weekly series, “W.A.I.T. Training” in “Workout Wednesdays”, I will outline specific practical ways that you can use physical exercise to strengthen your spirit and your relationships in the Body of Christ. The program introduced below addresses 24 physical pictures of spiritual principles through a variety of supports:  training videos, devotional thoughts, Christian music videos, 8×10 color posters, free t-shirt designs, and more can be used for your personal devotions or small group Bible studies.

If you’d like to receive more posts like this, you can subscribe to the tools4trenches blog.

If you’d like to know more about who publishes the articles, videos, and other materials on tools4trenches, you can click on the picture of me and my wife.