Set the Standard!
“Praise the LORD! How joyful are those who fear the LORD and delight in obeying his commands. Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed. They themselves will be wealthy, and their good deeds will last forever.” Psalms 112: 1-3; New Living Translation
In the scripture today we can see the benefit of people who are godly. But what does the word godly mean? According to Vines Complete Expository Dictionary of the Old and New Testament Words one definition of the word godly means to be honest, just or to act right. Vines Dictionary states that it is a just or godly person who sets the standard for doing right. This standard is not set my men but by God. The godly person is a person who stands by their word. It is a person who does right to other people.
We live in a world where most people want to take short cuts to get ahead. If they need to lie a little to get ahead that’s OK. If they need to cheat a little to get ahead that’s OK. If they need to cheat on their taxes that’s OK. If they want to make money quickly by using false advertising, it’s OK. If they have a business and they offer inferior quality to make money, that’s OK. If they have to lie and say falsehoods to get ahead, that’s OK. It is OK to the world but not to God.
My father told me many times when I was growing up that all a person has is their word. If you can’t trust the word of a person, you can’t trust the person. He also stated that a person who lies to you will eventually steal from you. Our word is all we have to offer to demonstrate who and what we are made of.
Can people trust in your word? Are you a person of your word? When you say you will do something will you do it at the time you state you would do it? Do you lie or cheat to get ahead? Remember the blessings of being a godly person is not only for you but for generations to come in your family. What you do today echoes throughout eternity. By what standard do you live by?
Remember what you sow is what you will reap!