BE A GODLY EXAMPLE (2)
Dear Reader,
Peace and blessings, in Jesus’ name! It is a good thing to share God’s Word with you today in the concluding part of the series “Be A Godly Example”. Today, I shall be giving you some guidelines that will help you to live an exemplary lifestyle. Receive grace to put them to work, in Jesus’ name!
Be real in your faith: Real faith leads you to act responsibly and it all begins with a real relationship with your heavenly Father. Be real in your walk with God. Don’t live a life of hypocrisy; be genuine. Everybody enjoys being around a person that is real and genuine. The Bible says: When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also (2 Timothy 1:5). ‘Unfeigned’ in the above scripture means ‘real’. This is a testimony concerning Eunice who had a genuine faith which had great effect on Timothy. You must be real in your faith, if you must live an exemplary life. Remember the story of Rebecca in the previous edition; she lost it because she did not have a good understanding of the fact that God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Numbers 23:19). Rebecca had no understanding of the ways of the Lord God of Israel that whatever He intends to be done will be done (Mathew 24:35). The remembrance of her negative influence on her family is a sad story! That will not be your portion, in Jesus’ name!
The Power of Influence: Every woman is uniquely endowed with the power of influence. It is an awesome privilege from God, which can be used either positively or negatively. Whichever way you choose to use it will ultimately impact on your generation. May you lay hold on it and begin to use it to positively affect your world by the legacies you bequeath to your loved ones, in Jesus’ name!
Take a look at Mrs. Barbara Bush, wife of the President George W. Bush Sr, of the United States of America. History has it that she is the only woman who has ever been married to the President of a nation, whose son became President of same nation in her lifetime, while at the same time another son of hers was a Governor in one of the states in America. She positively influenced her family and in turn generations. What a testimony!
As a mother, what kind of example are you to your children, whether spiritual, biological or foster children? You have all it takes to positively impact lives because you have the Holy Spirit as your Helper! For instance, my mother-in-law’s spirit of generosity positively impacted and influenced my life. Her generous heart had great impact on my husband and this is evident even in our home and ministry.
Several years ago, when our first son was born, it was in the days of scarcity of essential commodities in Nigeria. Even if you had money, you couldn’t get the essential commodities to buy. People had to queue for several hours, even to get toiletries or basic necessities. During this time, my husband and I in obedience gave all the money we had as sacrifice to God. Miraculously, a few days after, someone came to our home and said God told her to bring cartons of baby food for us. I eventually became a distributor of baby foods to people who were in need.
Likewise, I can never forget the positive influence of my mother on my life. She is a clear reflection of …the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God great price (I Peter 3:4) which the Bible talks about. I saw it practically demonstrated in her life, and that reflects in my life today. That grace is perhaps one of the cardinal reasons for the success story of my home today!
Therefore, I want to passionately make this appeal right now as you read this article: please, have a renewed commitment to being a godly example. Your action or inaction has an impact that transcends generations; may your memory elicit nothing but joy and gratitude to God from your children, children’s children and generations after you!
However, your decision to be a godly example begins with Jesus Christ in your life. You need to be born again. This is done by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour. If you are already born again, rejoice because your case is settled. If you are not born again yet and you desire to do so right now, please pray this prayer with faith in your heart: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.
Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are now born again and a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21). With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace, in Jesus’ name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through contact@faithoyedepo.org, 07026385437 OR 08141320204.
For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Understanding Motherhood, Raising Godly Children, Building a Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).