When I was involved in the commercial business world, I learned a mantra from one of my mentors that stuck with me throughout my career: 'Turnover is vanity – profit is sanity.'
In some ways, we can take this advice into our Christian lives. Much of our activity can sometimes tend towards the vanity of self-promotion and pride.
In the practical exhortations of 1 Timothy 4, Paul counsels Timothy: 'exercise yourself toward godliness' and to make 'progress' (the AV refers to him 'profiting').
Personal, daily prayer in the Christian life is essential – someone once called it 'fresh air for the soul' – but there is something wonderfully profitable toward godliness when Christians pray together.
