Peace finds a permanent home in our heart when we focus more on pleasing God than we do on pleasing ourselves. ~Jay Meyer
A few years ago I was studying scripture in the first chapter of the second book of Peter. In this chapter, Peter gives us a step by step process for growing our faith.
Here is my abbreviated version of this scripture:
Faith (trust in God) + Goodness (doing the next right thing) + Increased knowledge (prayerfully studying His word) + Self Control (defeat selfish urges) + Perseverance (continue to have faith through the storms of life) + Godliness (?) + Love for other Christians, leads us to agape Love (love of all people). For the full version of this scripture click the link: (2 Peter 1:3-8).
When I came upon the word Godliness in the scripture from Peter, I grew a little apprehensive.
Up to that point in my life, I always thought Godliness meant I had to be like God and/or live a Holy life.
For those of you who know me, that was and is an impossibility. It’s not in my makeup, I’m a sinner saved by grace who needs all the Jesus I can get in order to stave off the sin that wants to inhabit my spirit.
Then I researched the word Godly and found my definition for Godly to be incorrect. The Godly that is written about throughout the Bible means being devoted to God, having reverent worship of God and having a desire to please God in everything we do.
In other words Godly has nothing to do with being like God but it has a whole lot to do with living a life that is pleasing to Him.
Over the past couple of days we’ve been taking a look at what it means to have God at the center of our Wheel of Life.
Whatever is at the center of our Wheel of Life drives our decision making process and significantly impacts the other key components of our Wheel.
It’s one thing saying, “God is at the center of everything I do,” but how we think (mental), how we take care of our body (physical), how we interact with others (relational), and how we handle our finances is reflective of how true that statement is.
In other words, are our thoughts pleasing to God?
Is the way we treat our body pleasing to God?
Is the way we treat others, pleasing to God?
Is the way we handle our finances, pleasing to God?
Keeping God at our center takes work, but it’s worth it. Believe me it’s worth it.
P.E.A.C.E.
Jay@EagleLaunch.com
1 Timothy 6:6, “Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment,” (ESV)
1 Timothy 4:8, “For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (ESV)
