The Bible is often referred to as God’s Word. I like this because it is God’s Word. It is in written form so it can be read repeatedly. It is full of His promises, and I am so thankful God keeps every promise He makes. God speaks to us through His Word, the Bible. Most of the life questions we all have can be answered by referring to His Word.
The character of God is beyond reproach. I also love that He never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. There is a lot of reassurance in that statement. He is dependable and always with us. He never leaves us. He is our ever-present Helper, and we are not to be afraid.
When we examine the character of a godly man, he has integrity. He will be an honest man. He works hard to be ethical, always striving to do the right thing in God’s eyes. He wants to live a life that is pleasing to God. He exhibits good character and has a clean conscience. A godly man will love God with all of his heart and do his best to obey God. This man will spend quality time with God often alone in a quiet place. He speaks to God often through prayer and cherishes his relationship with Jesus. He worships God and most likely is plugged in and serving God. He rarely misses church.
Wow, Jim, that leaves a bunch of us out! My answer to that would be, “God is not done with you yet.” Becoming a godly man is a desire we all should have as leaders of our households. Sure, we fall short from time to time but don’t give up. We are a work in progress that God has begun. Philippians 1:6 “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
Think about this…..
If you plant a garden this spring, and you walk away from it and return to it after a month, you will find some growth in your plants but mostly weeds and tall grass around your crop. The grass and weeds will absorb most of the ground nutrients and moisture. This will leave you with an inferior result in the end. A garden requires attention and time. It requires rototilling and weed removal.
A personal relationship with God requires time and effort. The heart and soul of our lives must be cleansed by cultivation and weed removal. The cultivation takes place in bible study and the reading of God’s Word. The weed removal takes place on our knees much the same as in the garden. We must ask God what He has found in our hearts and souls that is separating us in our relationship with Him. God is always looking at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
Our character is very important in life. People are watching us, and God is watching us. Our daily walk with Jesus can have a positive influence on others if they can see Jesus through our words and actions. I know we will make mistakes but instead of allowing Satan to beat us down, we need to keep moving forward with Jesus and continue our walk with Him. He knows we are not perfect.
Jim Everett
