What Is Godliness?
What does it mean when someone tells you that you need to live a godly life? What is godliness? Godliness can be defined as a personal attitude toward God that results in actions that are pleasing to Him. It is a rich and deeply spiritual concept that goes far beyond simply good behavior. At its core, godliness reflects a life shaped by reverence for God and a commitment to living according to His will.
How do I know if I have a godly character? Let me ask some questions: Do you revere God? Godliness begins with a profound respect and awe of God. It’s not just about obeying rules—it’s about honoring God in every aspect of your life. In order to do so, I must grow more like Jesus. The apostle Peter wrote, “For to this you have been called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps” (I Peter 2.21). Peter is saying we must strive to have the same character as Jesus. Thus, the godliness mirrored by Jesus involves cultivating virtues like humility, patience, love, and integrity. We struggle so much in humbling ourselves before others mainly because of our pride. The example set by Christ showed how He deeply humbled Himself before God. Jesus also modeled us the example of washing one another’s feet to teach humility.
Is it easy to become godly? Does it require anything of me? Or do I just become godly when I am baptized? Paul told us that it takes training. Paul told Timothy, “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness” (I Timothy 4.7). Paul was implying that godliness required spiritual discipline. It requires intentional effort on our part to
develop godliness. How do we do that? We do so by praying without ceasing and giving thanks to God in all the circumstances we face (I Thessalonians 5.17). We grow more godly by increasing our knowledge of God by studying His word then obeying it. It is possible
for me to walk righteously before God. Many people choose not to follow Jesus because they say they just cannot live up to the godly life presented in scripture. But isn’t that due to lack of knowledge? Paul was confident he could face anything in life as long as he had Christ (Philippians 4.13). Do I need more Jesus?
God’s grace empowers me to live for Him. Titus 2.11-13 teaches that God’s grace enables us to say “no” to worldly passions and live upright, godly lives. Godliness is expressed in the choices I make every day: How to treat others, how we respond to trials, and how we steward our time and resources. As long as I am trying to do the best I can in living for God, His grace covers the rest. Every believer is called to pursue godliness, and God has given everything we need
that “pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1.3). What about you? Do you need to work on walking more godly every day?
Gary
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