Forsake The Godless By Pursuing Godliness!

" Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, 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." (1 Timothy 4:7,8 NIV)

No matter how many times I am confronted by those who celebrate April Fool's Day as their holiday, I am convinced that God has addressed every situation we encounter in His Word. Even for those who say, "there is no god" yet they honor the god of this world on a regular basis. The god of this world (Satan) has influenced those who say there is no God (of Heaven) so they can live like they want to live--doing whatever they want to do. They say, we who Believe Creator God, are honoring a myth and they say, the bible is nothing but an ancient book.

"They" can say whatever they want and believe whatever they want--it's their choice. The God we serve never forces Himself on anyone and He has made it clear in His Word that even He has chosen us to be His, we must also choose Him if we are to His.

If a man sees a woman across the room at an event and is smitten with the love-bug and gets up the nerve to approach her, he has chosen her. If she doesn't want to be bothered with him and rejects him, that is her choice. If he attempts to force himself and his affections on her, he is violating her right to choose and can be accused of harassment or stalking. Thank goodness God is not like fickle man--He never forces us to accept Him or His affection.

Now, the other thing I don't understand is why is it that people who claim that our God is an ancient myth, will attempt to quote the ancient book, trying to justify themselves? "God said don't judge!" This is a common response by many who support living in opposition to God's Word. Now, if His Word is ancient and He is a myth, why are they bothering to quote Him (even though out of context)? They are quick to say, "Jesus just said, love." Well, Jesus did say that, but He didn't stop there. He said, "If you love me, keep my commands." In this statement, He acknowledges that He and God are one--in purpose and intent. In order to understand the Bible, just as with any book, we have to read the entire Bible, comprehending the times, the people, the cultural and how much God loves us--today! He does not change!

The truth is obvious to me. Though they claim they do not believe God, they understand a greater power exist in the universe than they are and many have been exposed to God's teachings, they just refuse to adhere to them. That is their choice. However, choosing to ignore God or not to believe Him, doesn't change His existence, His decrees or His judgment.

Exercising our bodies for physical fitness is a good thing, but exercising our faith in the One True God is more valuable. For it is God who created our bodies and knows exactly how every cell works, but faith in Him--after the measure given--can only increase in value when we keep hearing and obeying The Word. The more we hear The Word, the greater our understanding becomes and the more we obey The Word, the greater our reward--the abundant life that Jesus promises.

Let's put aside the godless myths that the god of this world promotes and pursue Godliness as God has outlined in His Word, for our benefit, not His. All glory belongs to the God who created all things and without Him, nothing was created. Hallelujah!