Is Godliness a Reality in Your Life?   

One of my friends and fellow-ministers does additional work at times in a school system as a substitute teacher. He recently told how he was called in to serve in that capacity on the 100^th day of the school year. The students and teachers were marking that milestone by dressing up as old people. From the types of clothes they wore to making their hair look gray, they attempted to put on the appearance of being a hundred years old. As my friend walked down the hallway that day, he encountered a student who cordially greeted him. Then the young elementary-aged student, observing the teacher’s naturally graying hair and beard, spontaneously added the comment, “Mr. _____, you didn’t have to dress up today, did you? You’re already old.” My friend took this statement good-naturedly and says he even considered it something of a compliment.

This reminds me of some of the people in Jesus’ day who put on the appearance of godliness and righteousness. They loved to play dress-up, putting on their religious robes and making public performances out of their good deeds. It seems that some even applied a degree of make-up to their faces at times in order to make themselves appear to be older, deprived, and gaunt under pretense of participating in a prolonged period of fasting (see Matthew 6:16).  They wanted people to think they were righteous and spiritually-mature individuals, when in reality they were more like those elementary school kids pretending to be a hundred years old.

   We need to seek more than just the appearance of godliness and Christlikeness. We ought to be letting God so work in our hearts and lives that it becomes reality. While others try to make it look as if they’re “good Christians”, wouldn’t it be nice if as people get to know us and observe our behavior and character that they would arrive at the conclusion, “You don’t have to dress up like a follower of Jesus, do you? You really are one.”

Godliness isn’t something we put on from the outside. It has to start on the inside as we put our trust in Jesus, enter into a personal relationship with Him, and allow His Spirit to transform our hearts and minds. We’re changed from the inside out. Anybody can make themselves appear to be good, godly people. However, what matters is what we truly are in our hearts and character. Such inner holiness will work its way out and affect our actions in many ways. People should be able to see a difference in how we live and what we do. But that outward righteousness isn’t just a show to win the admiration and approval of other people. It should be the fruit coming from a real relationship with the Lord.

Spiritual maturity doesn’t happen overnight. And we all still have a long way to go in our journey of becoming more like Jesus. We won’t fully reach that goal until we stand before the Lord once this life is over. So I’m not suggesting that any of us can rest in the idea that we’ve “arrived” spiritually. However, godliness and Christlikeness can be and should be becoming more of a reality in our lives. Let’s make sure that we’re not just putting on the appearance of spiritual life and maturity, but that we are truly being transformed more and more into the image of our Lord as the days go by.

In the midst of pretenders and wannabees, may we seek to be the real thing – someone who truly knows Christ, is following Him, and is continuing to grow toward spiritual maturity and godliness.