20131201
One television programme that shows the opposite of sober, righteous and godly living is “Banged Up Abroad” on the National Geographic Channel. It interviews people recalling how they mix with wrong company, end up living the so-called high life and smuggling drugs. They succeed at first but there is always one slip-up and they end up locked up in horrible prisons abroad.
Do we give ourselves a pat on the back because we do not pattern such wasted lives? Think again. Godliness is not only the goody, goody outward behaviour, though that is the fruit of it. First off, godliness is not an abstract concept. From the Old Testament, Leviticus 19 teaches practical ways of righteous living – everything from treating foreign talent right to fallowing land for three years before harvesting fruit in the fourth year. Titus 2:1-10 highlights Christians being dedicated homemakers and worthy workers. Yet, godliness is not acting out many small things to “gain” some sort of respectable status. It is the state of the mind before God. Vines dictionary defines it as a “God-ward attitude” and doing “that which is well-pleasing to Him”.
How? The sober or serious-minded person flees from the stupor of spiritual mediocrity. This is all too easily attained when we disregard God’s promptings, say, to witness to a colleague for fear that we will be labelled as “square”. The righteous person ought to pardon those who sin against him just as Jesus forgives him from all sin (Tit. 2:14). Yet how often we defy God’s instructions, say, by hating a brother in our hearts (Lev. 19:17) – a hurt especially tough to let go if it is a family member. To either disregard or defy God’s word is to deny Christ as Lord of our life.
Even the pillars of strength in the Old Testament – from Abraham to King David – had chinks in their godly armour. However, Enoch was so right with his Maker, he was translated from death. He “walked” faithfully in close relationship with God (Gen. 5:24). So did his great-grandson, Noah, to the scorn of others living in his times. Pray that we, like these godly pillars, will have hearts quick to obey, minds slow to run ahead of God’s plan and spirits to be always in step with His will for our lives.
