Godliness: March 11, 2014

TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY MARCH 11, 2014.

GODLINESS

DEFINITION:

State of being divine; devotion to God; holiness.

SCRIPTURE:

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

Psalm 32:8.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

There is a misconception by some that believers should be perfect. Many of us wear happy faces and speak words that are acceptable but ashamed to admit that we have shortcomings and are not perfect. Salvation through Jesus does not change the fact that there is sin in our lives. When we were born again, found and accepted Jesus into our hearts, God forgave us of our sins and sees our righteousness but we still battle sin and will battle sin in our lives until we arrive in heaven. 

Striving for perfection can be a trap that pulls us away from living a godly life. Functioning with this attitude can easily drive us to rely on our own capabilities and forgetting our weaknesses. When we realize our inadequacy we can then recognize our need for God in our life. Jesus wants us as believers to be aware of our own brokenness because this is the foundation for godliness.

In order to live a godly life we need to accept our neediness, seek God passionately and yield our will to God’s will. It is in our brokenness that we develop a hunger for God’s Word, develop a new desire for faithful service to God, deepen our trust in Him, and see the necessity to make decisions based on biblical principles rather than personal preferences. God patiently and mercifully will mature us and make us more godly. It does not happen overnight. It is a slow and sometimes painful process, and ongoing until the day we die and enter our heavenly home.

It is important that we do not attempt to cover up our sinful nature in order to look like a good Christian to our family, friends and neighbors. Without recognition of our sinful nature and the confession of our sinful acts and deeds God cannot do His perfect work in us. It is only with this awareness and action that we can passionately seek Jesus and have Him in total control of our life. This is godliness in action.

One key to godliness in our lives is praying to God daily so we can share with Him our needs and concerns and ask for guidance. It is also a time we should take to praise His name and give Him all the glory for what He is doing in our lives.

Another necessity is reading the Word of God daily. God communicates to us through His Word. The Word of God is a compass that keeps us headed in the right direction, even in the midst of confusing messages we hear all around us. By reading His Word we will consistently be filled with truth that only God can give.

Even though the Bible is our guidebook for living we will still face difficulty with temptation because we live in an imperfect world. But the Word of God will always enable us to overcome the temptations to do evil and sin if we are faithful in reading it and obeying it. In Psalm 32:8 David tells us that God will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go and He will counsel you and watch over you.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in John 14:3-4.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.

PRAYER:

Help me to be yielded to You in all areas of my life so You can do Your perfect work in my life. Give me the patience to wait on You to reveal what You have for me to learn. Give me a humble attitude that glorifies Your name through my words and deeds.