"On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." 1 Tim 4:7-8
Today, seemingly more than at any other time in history, we are about self, conspicuous consumption and indulging as many desires as possible. We emulate those highly paid athletes, actors and entertainers who parade across our television screens and magazines in the latest fashions, most expensive cars and jewels and clothing that one percent of the population can afford.
Perhaps more to the point, we, in our daily lives, give in to all kinds of whims, be it substance or food abuse, law breaking (such as habitually exceeding posted speed limits), pornography and coarse language. To be sure, we are holy on Sunday, but during the rest of the week a different person can be readily seen.
Beloved, the apostle Paul once said, "All things are lawful for me but not all things are expedient." Though he most assuredly was not referring to sinful or illegal behavior, the point is made that everything that might be good to us is not good for us. In fact, we need to employ a great deal of discipline to avoid allowing ourselves to do and have things just because we can.
We are called to be a godly people. We must avoid the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life in order to maintain our friendship with God. Just as doing a little exercise and pushing back from the table some will help us lead healthier physical lives, avoiding that which leads to sin provides healthier spiritual lives. Failure to do so can have eternal consequences.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
No comments:
Post a Comment