“Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly” (1 Timothy 4:7).

Paul’s point was that it’s important for us to have the right target and stay focused on it. “Train yourself to be godly” is the aim of our Christian lives. Paul was reminding us to be diligent and concentrate on what is most important.

As Paul often did he borrowed an example from the world of athletics. “Train” is a translation of the Greek word, “gymnazo.” We have incorporated this word into English with our word gymnasium—a place designed for physical training.

What Paul was saying is that reaching our goal of godliness successfully will require our spiritual conditioning and training. That doesn’t mean we will be more “saved” or more righteous. It does show that we are maturing as Christians and becoming more like the One we worship. An athlete learns to avoid distractions and focus on the right goal. Our goal is godliness and we are to approach it with the determination of an elite athlete.

Instead of our trying to understand and deal with every popular idea that we encounter, it is important that we refuse to be sidetracked from our ultimate purpose. We are here, at least in part, to help bridge the gap between people and God. Our aim is to cultivate a relationship with God so that when people observe us they get a glimpse of what God is like. That’s a goal worth achieving.