Train Yourself To Be Godly Series

Difference between the Worldly and Godly Lifestyle:

Proverbs 14:12 (KJV) There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

There is this pattern we follow in our everyday life. Life usually revolves around the eating, drinking and being merry (Luke 12:19).. Of course we need money, which leads to the activities of establishing a career, a source of income, to sustain our ‘eat, drink and be merry’ lifestyle. You don’t need any sort of special training to follow this pattern. The very need to achieve standards set by the world is enough to push you into this almost vain routine. Of course, it’s not as easy as it used to be.

This routine brings in divisions and alienation from family lives. At the same time it makes people work, think and act like machines with gadgets and information becoming the top of priorities.

Like the wisest of men says there is a way that seems good to man but in the end it leads to destruction (Proverbs 16:25). This vanity is pretty much what it is to live worldly lives. After all these years of pursuing the best interests in life, we only witness that much evil, sickness, pestilence and war in our world.

Apostle Paul in this epistle talks about living godly lives. If we were to define a godly lifestyle, it begins with the practice and upholding of spiritual disciplines; a life of purity and model that is given completely for the Lord. We live godly lives when our every action and decision is made to please the Lord and not the world. From the time a child of God wakes up in the morning till he goes to bed, every activity is done with the intention to represent the kingdom of God in the realm and place God has kept him or her.

This doesn’t come as easy as living a worldly life. Apostle Paul talks about training ourselves to be godly. Notice how he underlines training ourselves. This means it begins with us and only you can get yourself into that discipline.

The Greek word that Paul uses to explain training is ‘Gymnaso or Gumnaso‘. In ancient Rome, those participating in the Olympics and games, gladiators and soldiers went into a strict diet and training just like how it is today. To get to the best shape they could, focus and importance was given much to training.

Similarly to live godly lives, we are to be given to following strict spiritual disciplines. We ought to understand the seriousness of how important our spiritual lives are. We must plan for it. We cannot dismiss being godly as something only for those in ministry. Some try to confine godliness to the limit and purview of the church. It doesn’t work like that. Apostle Paul talks about living godly lives everyday. You stand as a model to this generation for God. Your life ought to be trustworthy- appreciating and respecting one another. This beautiful life however never happens by chance expect that you plan, take a decision and put the effort to stand by it.

Training- How do you train?

Hebrews 12:1 (KJV) Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Training is a continuous process. No one who goes on to undertake training can do it for a day and stop it. It takes a life given to discipline and trying. This is what the apostle means when he tells us to train ourself to be godly. How does one train?

In the book of Hebrews, he talks about the strict training to be godly, wherein you throw off every thing that weighs you and every sin that easily entangle you, focusing upon Christ alone as we run the race of life. This calls for a continuous check on our lifestyle, what we watch, do and think directly influences our spiritual lives. Are you able to turn away from things that don’t please God? If not, then we are on a path that leads to death.

We continuously train ourselves to be godly and keep a check on our spiritual life so that we are not found wanting at the coming of the Lord. As a believer in Christ sometimes we satisfy ourselves with a routine prayer life, a ‘Sunday-holy-day’ life, wherein only on one day of the week we have anything to do with God and the rest of the week we live as we like. Once saved is not always saved, we work our salvation every single day.

Apostle Paul talks about beating his body and bringing into submission so that after having preached to others he himself is not disqualified. That’s the same mentality we ought to carry when it comes to being godly. It requires immense effort to live what can be easy to preach (1 Corinthians 9:27).