On Godliness: Part I

Been reading verses on godliness because as I've seen my children grow, their responses to life's situations has mirrored the way I respond to life. A lot of what's mirrored is not good and it's really convicting when you see your sinful struggles in front of you EVERY DAY, being passed on to your children. (One thing I am thankful for is how God has answered a prayer for my children and that is for Him to protect my children's hearts despite my sinfulness. They say they love God and Jesus and that is the hope I hold on to...) One prayer that I say every day for myself is for the Lord to answer the desire of my heart and that is to respond more and more in godliness so that I am able to exemplify what godliness looks like and what love for God looks like. I tell my children I love God all the time, but my actions usually don't match up to what I say...So, one thing I wanted to understand from God's Word is what godliness is...

First, I am learning again and again that godliness is a process and though it is not a new concept, it's really a concept that one actually has to EXPERIENCE. The process is the stripping of yourself and the putting on of righteousness...

Second, I am learning that in order for this process to happen, one actually has to be trained towards godliness. The one verse that spoke to me this morning is this, "...training is to RENOUNCE ungodliness and worldy passions, AND to LIVE self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age..." (Titus 2:11-2)...

Third, since godliness is a process and requires training, it requires perseverance, a striving towards the goal, and the expectation of failures and triumphs. An athlete doesn't win a race on his first try...

Lastly, godliness is by the grace of God. He wants us to be godly and He will shape us into His definition of godliness, not ours. Yet He is patient, He is merciful, and He is faithful (thanks to our Pastor for this reminder on Sunday) to bring us to that place of godliness...