In, “The Practice of Godliness“, Jerry Bridges explores the nature of what does it mean to be godly and to leave a godly life and the importance it plays in the Christian Life.
At 226 pages and complete with the “Practice of Godliness” study guide, “The Practice of Godliness” was and is an intriguing read and good for not only personal exploration and development as a follower of Christ, but for group settings as we are called to understand what it means to be a godly Christian and particularly as we leave in a world that encourages the self over that of our Heavenly Father desires.
Short chapters but convicting, Jerry Bridges, both writes in a encouraging and challenging prose that leads the reader to ask oneself, “Am I living a life that is truly godly”, or, “Am I simply going through the motions for reasons other than for our Heavenly Father”?
On page 17, Jerry shares,
“It is sad that many Christians do not have this aura of godliness about them. They may be talented and personable, or very busy in the Lord’s work, or even apparently successful in some avenues of Christian service, and still not be godly. Why? Because they are not devoted to God. They may be devoted to a vision or to a ministry, or to their own reputation as a Christian, but not to God.” from, “The Practice of Godliness.
What impresses me about Mr. Bridges writing is his humbliness. In the preface, he shares, “There is a certain sense of anxiety in committing these studies to print that comes from the warning of James that “not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, becasue you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1).
He comes across in his writing as someone who desires to encourage and challenged others in a loving way, in their walk with our Father, to grow and be nourished by our Father’s word, yet takes seriously the commitment to writing that he feels laid on his heart.
“The Practice of Godliness” is a wonderful book that does not promises quick fixes or read and over night one, will become more godly, but rather, addresses the question of “What is being godly”, “Where in the Bible do we see these examples” and also “What do we need to address, not in others, but in ourselves to grow more godly and also God-fearing” in our walk with our Heavenly Father.
This is a book that is not heavily written that those who don’t have the time for serious reading can’t read, nor is it so lightly written that those who are serious in being challenged and grown won’t find themselves both encouraged and convicted and challenged to growing closer to our Heavenly Father and discovering the qualities that truly make up the Christian character.
A splendid read, I highly recommend, “The Practice of Godliness” to the first time reader about Christian growth, new to the faith, and the ever maturing follower.
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