Godliness starts with God!

If I am not careful, I can make godliness into a new set of rules that I must follow—which is a faulty premise.

Now I try to muster the effort to not just work, but work to honor God. I try to wrangle my wayward heart into acting right and righteous!

But godliness requires God!

Jerry Bridges can help us define godliness through his definition of ungodliness. According to Bridges, ungodliness is living every day with little to no thought of God, His will or glory, or our dependence upon Him.

If ungodliness is ignoring God, then godliness must concentrate on God!

This is not a set of works I can accomplish, tasks I can complete, or deeds I can do. It is a changing of my heart’s focus.

Godliness is living devoted to God and seeking to honor Him alone.

Like I stated on Sunday, we can be good without God and even great without God, but we cannot be godly without God!

As Pete Scazzero says, we can catch ourselves being busy for God and never desiring to be with God.

Godliness requires a heart that has come to know, trust, and desire God.

The easiest way I can think about this is through my marriage. It is my daily joy to know, enjoy, and serve Carlin. I do not see this as an obligation, but an opportunity to grow closer to the human being I love more than any other (sorry, Big and Little Coop).

Godliness brings us to a similar place with the One who loves us unconditionally and ultimately.

Godliness starts with loving God so much that we want to be with Him and live for Him.

Today, consider the definitions of godliness and ungodliness.

Where are you comfortable living in an ungodly—not necessarily vile—state?

As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?

Psalm 42:1–2