Godliness

1 Timothy 4:6-10, “If you put these instructions before the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with profane myths and old wives’ tales. Train yourself in godliness, for, while physical training is of some value, Godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”

In this pastoral letter to Timothy we encounter a pastor-mentor to student-pastor counseling moment where Timothy is being encouraged to encourage the body of Christ, the Church, toward a selfless practice of Godliness. Behaving in a manner that reflects what Jesus taught and lived. We read that this behavior is good not only for this life that we live today but for our eternal futures. When others encounter us practicing a Godly way of life two things will occur. They will acknowledge and accept that it is Jesus Christ who inspires, loves and teaches us or they will reject the Godly lifestyle as nonsense. I don’t believe that there are middle ground or grey areas with our belief in Jesus. We either believe in Jesus Christ and live a Godly life committed to daily life in faith or we are living outside of a personal relationship with God through Christ and therefore stand opposed to God. While we cannot do works to gain eternal life, our faith walk in Godliness reflects our eternal promise. Where do you stand on Godly living? How many days do you live as God expects you to live?

Prayer: Redeemer God, thank you for today. Thank you for saving us through Jesus Christ who is Your only Son. Strengthen us to live each day in a Godly way that shows the world how we love and serve You. In Jesus’ Name we pray. AMEN.