Ungodliness

My Bible study group (made up of incredibly athletic women… and me) is currently working through the book Respectable Sins, by Jerry Bridges.  If you haven’t read it, you need to go out and purchase it.  It is incredible!  Most of my book is underlined, which sort of defeats the purpose of underlining (I’m kind of addicted to underlining things and putting stars beside important points).  Chapter seven is on the acceptable sin of ungodliness.  The author makes it clear that there is a difference between ungodliness and unrighteousness.  He defines ungodliness as “living one’s everyday life with little or no thought of God, or of God’s will, or of God’s glory, or of one’s dependence on God.”

Well crap.  (Which by the way is a word I can’t say around Callie Grace)

He continues by quoting Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  He then says, “The all of that sentence includes every activity of our days.  We are not only to eat to the glory of God, we are to drive to the glory of God, we are to shop to the glory of God, and we are to engage in our social relationships to the glory of God.  Everything we do is to be done to the glory of God.  That is the mark of a godly person.”

Again, well crap.

I know I can certainly say that this is not how I’ve been living my life.  First of all, there is a laziness in me that prevents me from this, because it takes constant work and attention.  Secondly, I have so often let the world distract me from this, through books, movies, and any other number of ways.  This is certainly a challenge.

The author ends the chapter by saying, “Above all, pray that God will make you more conscious of the fact that you live every moment of every day under His all-seeing eye.  While you may not be mindful of Him, He is certainly aware of you and sees every deed you do, hears every word you say, and knows every thought you think (Psalm 139:1-4).  Beyond that, He even searches out your motives.  Let us then seek to be as mindful of Him as He is of us.”

So, this is a challenge I’m accepting.  Anyone want to join me?

By the way, the next chapter is on the acceptable sins of anxiety and frustration.  I think you already know what I would say to that.