Godliness: I Loved Good Old Granny.
“But refuse and avoid irreverent legends (profane and impure and godless fictions, mere grandmothers’ tales) and silly myths, and express your disapproval of them. Train yourself toward godliness (piety), [keeping yourself spiritually fit].” (1Tim 4:7 AMP)
Timothy is a gifted man, mentored by Paul, and now as a pastor he often receives encouraging instruction from the Apostle, and the letter that is 1Timothy is full of such coaching. Timothy exemplifies the fact that the gifts received from Jesus are for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, as Timothy pastors the flock of God at Ephesus. Somewhere Timothy was told ‘do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry’, and to do this, several lifestyle and spiritual disciplines are recommended by the Apostle. In the pick of the day, we have godliness exalted above the captivating entertainment and beneficial games and sports of common life. Godliness is spiritual exercise and good occupation.
I loved good old granny and she was much better than the new granny I bought recently. You know how old granny was more patient, smooth talking, very tolerant – almost a spoiler of the kids, and never ran out of stories to entertain all her guests. Who would have told us how daddy was when he was a much younger? The good old granny also mixed real stories with fables, and made animals talk; some animal even married one village girl because she had picked some flowers by the road side! Oh, how I miss good old granny! The new granny speaks very fast, has a million more stories yet none is real, makes demons laugh with humans, entertains only the kids and ignores the rest, and she really spoils them as she sells them to her gods. I bought her expensively, and she smiles really well – she’s so young, is she really a granny? But she’s fully taken over from the preferred good old granny!
Good old granny was really great. However, the Apostle points Timothy and all who care to listen to something much better that her entertainment; it is even much better than what I watch and hear from the new granny as well. Train yourself in godliness. Beyond reciting the characters in that movie or telling whose social media account is trending or discussing the soccer players in another continent, there is something of more value that beckons for your daily continual attention: train yourself in godliness. The others have value for the moment and here on earth, and then it ends here. Godliness alone holds promise for the present life and for the life to come. Godliness means all that will help you maintain spiritual fitness – the disciplines of fellowship, prayer and fasting, Bible reading, study and meditation, and reaching out to benefit others with the gifts God has given you. This full package is truly entertaining, physically enriching and spiritually eternally beneficial. God bless good old granny for bringing me this far; I’ll go even further with godliness.
God bless you!