Add to Your Faith: Godliness

Add to Your Faith:  Godliness 

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness;

and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge,

self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; 

and to perseverance, godliness..."

2 Peter 1:5-6

Losing weight is a national pastime in this country where everyone, it seems, needs to lose a few pounds.  When you are trying to lose weight, you see constant advertisements touting various quick-fixes for shedding the pounds:  the lettuce diet, the Scarsdale diet, the Mediterranean diet, weight loss pills, weight-loss teas, vibrating bands that will shake it all off, acai berries, core precision undershirts, appetite suppressant lollipops, and last but certainly not least, anti-cellulite pants.  Everyone wants to lose as much weight as possible with the least amount of effort on their part or changes in their everyday eating.  Eventually, you learn that none of this junk works for the long haul, and that losing weight takes a lifestyle change - a lifelong commitment to healthy living, changing the way you eat and changing the way you move.  

Godliness is the same way.  There are preachers, teachers, televangelists and quacks who promulgate the use of a specific prayer, following a certain code, reading a particular book, attending a workshop, donating lots of money - do this, do that – and you will be filled with godliness.  Just like losing weight, however, there is no quick fix for gaining godliness.  It takes a lifetime commitment to follow in the footsteps of Jesus: spending quality time with the Father, and pouring out His love on the people around you.  Godliness means "God likeness," and the only way we become like Christ is to allow Him to pour out His life into us.

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All the way from earth to glory, 

I would be like Jesus.

Telling o'er and o'er the story,

I would be like Jesus.

Be like Jesus is my song,

In the home and in the throng.

Be like Jesus all day long - 

I would be like Jesus.

The Christian Life Hymnal, No. 314