Greatness or Godliness?

Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.
2 Timothy 2:22 NLT
Our society is obsessed with the need to succeed. It's ingrained in our thinking to strive for greatness. As such, we like hearing about the success stories of people who are wealthy or famous. Some of us even wish that we could be exactly like them! So we plan, fuss and fret over "life goals" eg. getting married by a certain age, children or wanting a better house, job, car etc.
But my brothers and sisters, we should not think in this way. Are you driven by discontentment? Godliness with contentment is great gain. We are encouraged to train ourselves for godliness. Godliness is a trait that is rarely emphasised even among Christians. We must train to be godly. It's like an athlete who disciplines his/her body by cutting out unhealthy foods and sacrificing quality time with his/her family to undergo strict physical and mental training in order to give his/her best performance at the Olympics.
Godliness is of eternal value. It doesn't happen overnight, but through much prayer and discipline. It involves the gradual cutting away of ungodly thoughts, attitudes and behaviours. It involves listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit and obeying Him. Pursue God, not your own happiness. We're called to be salt and light. What needs to be cut out of your life today?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Two Ways

The hard heart matter

What's your mind dwelling on?