Training Myself in Godliness

Meditations for Ragamuffins

July 25, 2023

Training Myself in Godliness 

“No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.”

1 John 4:12

The ways of the world’s culture teach us that life is all about keeping score; are we winning or losing. Culture teaches us to be ever ready with an appropriate rejoinder when we feel slighted. Over and against the prevailing sentiment of our culture is the truth that all my thoughts and deeds, all my words directed at other people, are in reality directed to Christ. Did Jesus really mean this when he said, “I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” (Matthew 25:40). Yes.

To conduct myself in the reality that every word that comes out of my mouth, as well as every thought that rattles around in the recesses of mind, are directed to Jesus seems like an impossible mission! This is a good time to remember that it is possible to do with training, what is impossible to do by trying. Authentically seeking the life in Christ as my way of life requires that I submit to appropriate spiritual disciplines to “train (myself) in godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7b NRSV).

My Takeaway: A spiritual discipline for me is to fully immerse myself in 1 John 4:12 so that before I speak, I will first think, “God lives in me, and his love is brought to full expression in me.”

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.