Our good friend, Paul, wrote, "Be true, dignified, just, pure and winsome." Ask someone, anyone standing by, "What does all that mean?"

Most likely, the answer would be, "Huh? Shut the front door. Want a piece of me?"

All Paul wanted was for his readers to be good Christians. That would seem to me an easy task. In today's world, when we are searching for good leadership, it would be very difficult to find.

When we were young, the world seemed to be so easy to understand because we were told how to behave, had plenty of room for mistakes and time for correction, and we were more interested in having fun than getting into trouble. For the most part. This was right. That was wrong. This is true. This is false. If we had a conflict, we'd go to mom or dad and they would ask us what's going on and try to help us decide what to do. We didn't always take their advice, but at least we had a choice.

As we got older — and that usually meant in years and not in wisdom — we acted without much thought and more emotionally than rationally. Maybe a better word would have been promising. "Buy this and you will find the end of the rainbow. No money down and no payments until next year with no interest, and a free trip to Miami Beach. How can you lose?" "Here's a wrinkle cream that will take 10 years off your face." "Drop 40 pounds and still eat all you want or my name isn't Slim Smith!"

"That's got to be true! It's in print. There are lifetime guarantees! Look at the before and after pictures. Can you believe it!"

Back to Paul. He writes, "I have given you the truth. Copy me."

His basic and most important lesson was that whatever we believe in and love more than anything else in the world is our God, our example, our paradigm. And, by the way, we can spell it God or god. One is supreme and one is common.

There are a lot of gods out there in our complex world to worship. Lots of gods thrilled to replace that which is true, pure, dignified and winsome. There are movie stars, sports figures and even some political charmers spoken of in hushed voices, revered and devoted. It makes little difference that the hero or heroine is lewd, abusive, manipulative or even decadent. Hang on, now, for I will write about a very special god. Imagine this object as I bring it to life. It belongs to us!

We have this god in our pocket, wallet, purse and it comforts us. Oh, yes, we trust in this god. With this god I can have power, security, pleasure, comfort, attention and status. If something I want has a price, my god will pay whatever the cost. This god can be hidden and protected. It is omnipotent and can change its shape. It can become a check, charge plate, cash, bond, note or certificate. And if stolen or lost while on vacation, replaced.

Whatever guides and directs our lives is ultimately that Supreme Being to whom we give our complete trust and loyalty.

Folks, the choice is ours!

When we live in a world dominated by the uncontrolled powerful, the powerless are treated almost as a commodity, as statistics, as tools, as slaves. However, we have the power to choose. How do we begin?

We begin by choosing that which is honorable, just, pure, excellent, worthy and declare this is our God! The God that created in the beginning all that we behold! What does our God demand of us? "There is to be no other God!"

Then choose. And the God of peace will be with us.

Thanks, God!