In the past few years, our world has become more AI driven. By the way, AI is described as a branch of computer science focused on building systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. It is said to be able to stimulate learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making. AI has not only impacted the world, but believers. We have stopped turning to the Word of God for answers to some type of AI that will give us an instant answer. Do we stop and realize we are trusting a humanist, ungodly, person who is behind technology over the God of the universe who spoke and the world was? This same God we will one day stand before and give an account of everything we have done, whether good or bad. My friend, we no longer study theology but we sure know how to use technology. We as God’s people are paying for it both doctrinally and morally.

As a teacher of women, I grieve at the amount of time women spend on social media, podcasts, and other trivial drippings as substitutes for the Bible and theology. Women need encouragement for sure, as we have many emotional needs, but we need to be doctrinal sound which will aid us richly in those emotional needs we have. We are commanded to walk by our faith, not by our feelings. A steady diet of pure doctrine will establish your heart and steady your emotions.

There is a portion of Scripture that warns us of the danger we are in as women if we refuse to be doctrinal sound. 1 Timothy 4:6-11 states, “If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. 7But reject profane and old wives’ fables and exercise yourself toward godliness. 8For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. 9This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. 10For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. 11These things command and teach.”

As a teacher of women, I would like to do what Paul told Timothy to do, and that is to instruct sisters in Christ. Some of you will think I am meddling but note what Paul says to Timothy; He is not meddling but this will prove he is a good minister of Jesus Christ. In fact, verse 11 Paul says command and teach these things.

Paul is clear that by admonishing others, they will be nourished in the words of faith along with good doctrine. The word nourish means to constantly nourish yourself. Ladies you have to eat physical food that has nutritional value to sustain your life and you have to eat spiritual food that is nutritional to sustain your spiritual life. Scrolling and looking at sounds bites and emotionally driven podcasts will not nourish your spiritual muscles. I have been grieved at the number of Christian women who have shared with me that they have never read the 66 books of the sacred scriptures. How can they be nourished? How will they survive? A dribble of God’s Word will lead to disaster. Doctrine, which is simply beliefs that are taught from Scripture, will dictate how you live.

Paul writes in verse 7, “But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. (1 Timothy 4:7)” This means we as women are to not pay attention to, not waste our time on profane and old wives’ fables. In the Biblical world these silly tales would go back and forth between the women as they loved to gossip and pass this on to their children. Women of that day were not encouraged to study and so they would get caught up in foolish nonsense. Today, social media has made this sin easy to participate in. My friend, we should shun such nonsense. We should also lovingly help others who have become addicted to these things. I know women who spend 4-6 hours a day involving themselves in online media but do not spend 4-6 minutes face to face with the authoritative, all sufficient word of God. Peter tells us He has given us everything we need for life and godliness in the sacred scriptures. (2 Peter 1:3)

I remember speaking at a conference and a lady mentioned that after I was there, she had experienced some conviction over the message. She had been using her nursing time of her baby daughter to see how many people liked her Facebook posts. She said she decided to start using her nursing time to memorize God’s Word instead and was now memorizing 10 verses a day. I responded to her email and told her that her baby girl would benefit far more from her memorization of Scripture than checking her Facebook likes. Her conviction and change of what she was doing in her nursing time was exactly what Paul says. We are to exercise ourselves to godliness instead of getting caught up in the foolishness of our age.

Physical exercise is strenuous and women will spend hours at the gym. Spiritual exercise is strenuous and women spend very little time in the Word and prayer. By the way, only 20 minutes of reading a day will get you through the Scriptures 4-5 times a year. Three chapters a day and five on Sunday will get you through in a year. It only takes 72 hours to read the Bible. (I tried this once and it’s true!) Paul says we train ourselves to be godly which means to be holy, to be pious, to perform godly conduct. You might say, why should I train myself to be godly and to know doctrine? Paul tells us why in the next verse.

For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. (1 Timothy 4:8)

My friend, exercise is profitable a little, but only for this life. However, godliness is profitable for this life and the life to come. Sound doctrine leads to godly living. It improves your marriage, your parenting, your service to Christ, you victory over sin, your love for others, your passion for the lost, and yes, even your emotions. Remember dear one, life is short, eternity is long. Just a side note, social media contributes to women’s obsessions with their bodies, their weight along with their looks. Not to mention they have proven it does permanent damage to your brain. Our mind is a precious gift from the Lord and we should be taking extra care for it. We are to renew it through the Word of God. (See Romans 12:1,2)

Are you nourishing yourself on the junk food the world has to offer, the food that will not provide lasting nourishment, or are you nourishing yourself in the good doctrine that will satisfy the thirsting of your soul? How much nourishment have you fed yourself lately? Do you read, study, and memorize the sound doctrine that is in the 66 sacred letters?

Are you engrossing yourself in social media and emotionally driven podcasts when you could be feeding on the riches of Christ in His word? How much time to you spend in trivial pursuits compared to time in the Bible?

How much time to you spend on disciplining your earthly body compared to your spiritual soul? Spurgeon once said, “What matters it after all, to have possessed a healthy body if you have a perishing soul?”

They tell us that Americans have more food to each than any other people in the world and yet we have more diets to keep us from eating it. American Christians have more resources and privileges for study and meaningful time in the Word than most people in other parts of the world, and yet we have more distractions to keep us from knowing it. What will it be for you my friend? Are you known as a woman who is doctrinally sound and whose life is not dictated by her emotions? Or are you known as a woman whose life is dictated by her emotions and knows very little of God’s truth?

May I lovingly remind you that John is clear, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust thereof, but he who does the will of God will abide forever. (I John 2:15-17)