Virtues - Godliness | Christ My Coach

GODLINESS

"So devote yourselves to lavishly supplementing your faith with goodness,
and to goodness add understanding, and to understanding add the
strength of self-control, and to self-control add patient endurance, and to
patient endurance, godliness" 2 Peter 1:5-7

Godliness is the next step in the climb toward Christlikeness. Godliness is a word
that is not used much in our society today; it has almost become unfashionable.
Yet godliness is something God himself esteems, values, and requires of His people. God has given us all we need, but we must provide two parts to the equation: a devoted heart and disciplined habits. Psalm 119:38 — “Establish
Your word to your servant, who is devoted to fearing You” — points to both. Our
hearts must be devoted to reverencing God, and we must form habits according
to His Word.

Let us look at the word devoted, which is better than dedicated. One can be
dedicated to something without being devoted to it. Godliness develops when we keep our hearts tender, receptive, and thirsty for the Lord. It is lifting our gaze
upward, shaping our lives in reverence and devotion to Him.

Godliness is not merely moral behavior or outward religion; it is living with God at the center, shaping every choice by reverence for Him. Godliness is devotion lived out — the daily practice of reflecting His holiness in the ordinary and extraordinary moments of life.

Being established in the Word requires continual reading, studying, meditating, applying, and sharing. Not much happens without steady habits, and habits are hard to sustain unless we work energetically to establish them. Devotion fuels discipline, and discipline sustains devotion — together they form the rhythm of godliness. Paul exhorts Timothy: “Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7–8). Just as athletes discipline themselves for strength and endurance, believers are called to discipline themselves for godliness. It is a lifelong pursuit, requiring intentional practice, spiritual focus, and reliance on the Spirit.

Cultivating godliness involves three essential areas. First, godliness draws everything from God. There’s no self-reliance, no self-confidence, no trust in the flesh. It is living life leaning on God and trusting in His grace and power. Titus 2:11–12 reminds us that it is God’s grace that teaches us to live godly lives in this present age. Godliness is not achieved by human effort alone; it is the Spirit’s work in us, shaping our desires, training our hearts, and aligning our lives with the will of God. Grace empowers us to say “no” to ungodliness and “yes” to a life
of devotion.

Second, godliness refers everything to God. Before committing to anything, the godly person waits upon Him with a prayerful heart: “Father, I trust Your wisdom above my own. Place Your will, Your plans, and Your desires within me, and align my heart to follow them. Guard me from what is not of You and lead me in Your way.” Scripture exhorts us: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5–6). Even when we plan our course, “the LORD establishes our steps” (Proverbs 16:9). Godliness is not passive; it is devotion in action, lived in full surrender to His will.

Third, godliness sees God in everything. No matter what trials may come, the godly person does not complain or despair but says, “He is my Father, and He is working it out for the best.” Romans 5 reminds us that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance produces proven character. Godliness is forged in this process, for proven character reflects the very nature of God and anchors us in hope. Together, these three essentials — drawing everything from God, referring everything to Him, and seeing Him in all things — form the posture of
godliness.

Ungodliness marks the present age, but godliness marks the people of God. Scripture makes it clear that ungodliness will be one of the outstanding features of human character in society at the end of the present age. Ungodliness is rampant — seen in men, acts, words, and ways of life. Yet the call of Christ is clear: we are to shine as lights in the midst of darkness, reflecting His holiness in a world that has forgotten reverence.

As a coach, I saw that training was not only about building strength or endurance— it was about embodying the game itself. The best players didn’t just practice drills; they lived and breathed the sport. The players who excelled were the ones with passion and love for the game. In the same way, godliness flows not from duty alone but from reverence for the Lord — a joy that makes devotion sustainable. It is training ourselves daily to live in reverence, to reflect Christ in our choices, and to embody His character in every arena of life.

Final Reflection

To live a godly life, we must diligently develop a heart of devotion and engage in the habit of godliness. This means three things:

We build ourselves up in our faith — strengthening trust in God through His Word, training our hearts to lean on Him in every circumstance.
We keep ourselves in the love of God — remaining tender, receptive, and devoted, letting His love shape our character and sustain our witness.
We pray in the Spirit — cultivating continual communion with the Lord, drawing strength, guidance, and endurance from His presence.

As Jude exhorts: “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 20–21).

Godliness is devotion that becomes discipline, and discipline that becomes delight — a life ablaze with Christ’s light in a darkened world.