Training For Godliness

1 Timothy 4:7b-8
…train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.


Don’t we love it when we find something that is "multi-purpose"? It seems as though all of a sudden that thing is worth far more, simply because it serves more than one purpose. Now we can justify spending the time or money on said item, right?

So, then, why do we have such difficulty with godliness and the pursuit thereof? Right here in First Timothy we are told that godliness has value for all things. There is nothing in this life that will not benefit from our godliness. And truly, our Christian lives should be so rooted in godliness – in the ways of God – that it defines absolutely everything in our lives.

We have a lot of great things, these days, in our lives both in and out of church. Great programs, schools, friends, family, etc. but if all of that stuff is not rooted in the foundation of God and the pursuant godliness, then really it won’t be able to serve the full purpose in our lives that God has set forth.

You’ll notice that we are told that we need to train ourselves to be godly. It’s not as though we can wake up one day, make the decision and it’s done (although, that is a great first step). And what better way to train for godliness than time with God, in the Word, and in prayer. There is nothing that will transform us the way God can, especially when we are spending time with Him, getting to know Him. We can fill our days with programs and Bible studies, worship, fellowship and small group, but until we have laid a solid foundation of God, and His perfect truths and precepts, these other things will simply melt away into our foundations of nothing.

Let’s seek Him, pursue Him – passionately pursue Him, as I love to say, and see the benefit that the rest of our lives reap from our found Treasure. As we make Him the common denominator in all things, all things will begin to fit so much better, and we will find that godliness has become a way of life.