How To Live in Moderation....Most of the time.......

My original intent was to make this part of the Thursday Night Bible Study on Facebook but after giving it some further, thought, I felt this belonged on my blog, "In Pursuit." I think the reason will become clear after reading through these thoughts.

Paul specifically tells the women of Ephesus, in 1 Timothy 1, to dress modestly or in moderation. The problem, as I see it, is that the folks in Ephesus were not familiar with the term moderation just as we are not familiar with it. It always seems to be "all or nothing" with no "in-between."

Paul was not telling the women they couldn't dress attractively or be fashionable in their dress. He just was telling them that they didn't have to be like the rich women who were trying to impress folks with all their jewelry, hair fashions or styles of dress.

Too often as Christians, we seem to try and be like the world instead of living our lives in such a manner that the world wants to be like us.

It's obvious we live in a world that does not know what the word moderation means. It's that or they just don't care about what their appearance says about their relationship with Christ.

We battle the lack of moderation multiple areas of life.

On Friday, July 8, television networks, newspapers and the Internet news sites carried the story of obesity in America. There's been a 20% increase in obesity. The state that once was the bottom (the good end) of the obesity chart is now at the top of the chart......the not so good end. This is one of those times when going from last to first is not something to be proud of.

Again, eating is not the only part of our life where moderation is a foreign concept. Alcohol is an area that knows no moderation; even losing weight at times can be done in an "out of control" manner. We just don't understand what Paul said about moderation.

But, in Philippians 4, we have three things listed for us that will assist us to live our lives in moderation.

#1--v6-7--we need to live our lives in a continual state of prayer

#2--v8--we need to make sure that we have godly influences in our lives and that we turn our back on those influences that are not godly

#3--v9--we need to make sure that we do what we know to be right

Doing the right thing is the energy behind God's blessings in our lives. Doing the wrong thing will only open our lives up to the snares of the enemy and the next thing we know we will be doing Satan's bidding instead of being about the things of God.

I hope this short post will cause you to think; pray; and IF there are areas that need to be changed, or brought into moderation, you will be challenged to make those changes so your life will bring honor and glory to God.

By the way.....there is one area where moderation is not suggested.......and that's the way you go after God. Go all out for God! Do whatever it takes to stay saved, stay filled with His Spirit and to keep yourself free from the things that will surely enslave you!

There is moderation in your pursuit of God just as there was and is no moderation in His pursuit of you!

Always in Pursuit!