Making Godliness a Goal for My Life, Praying for God's Help!

What are your life goals? Some may aim for a fulfilling career, or financial stability, or wealth even. Some seek healthy families and good friends. Christians desire a healthy relationship with our Creator and Savior. All of these are positive life goals. On the other hand the goals of some people may include getting ahead, no matter whom they crush, or whom they step on. That’s also a goal, even if people are hurt in that pursuit. Life goals can be good or bad - helpful or harmful.

What are your life goals? If you do have goals for life, how many of you named “godliness”, or holiness? I ask this question because of my devotional reading on Wednesday, October 22. As I read from 1 Timothy 5, I heard the following words. “7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.” (1 Timothy 4:7-9) As I hear people say what they want in life, I do not hear the word “godliness” on many lips. Or, maybe people do desire godliness, but do not realize they have that desire.

In confirmation class on October 19 at Our Redeemer Lutheran in Chugiak, Alaska, we studied the first two petitions, or requests, which Jesus taught in the Lord’s Prayer. We discussed the prayer, “Hallowed be thy name.” The lesson book asked, “How do we hallow or honor God’s name?” How would you answer? Some students replied that not cursing or swearing gives honor to the name of the Lord. That’s a good answer which also refers to the 10 commandments.

But, while the answer of the students is correct, I also pointed out that we don’t just honor the name of our Lord in what we do or don’t say. We honor God by what we do, or how we live. I asked them, “Do any of your friends or class-mates know that you attend church, or do they know you believe in Jesus? If so, have you ever done anything wrong, anything of which you are ashamed? Have your friends ever wondered, ‘He’s a Christian, yet he acts like that?’ What kind of God allows that behavior?” Our behavior also witnesses to our Lord.

In Confirmation class the students also read another verse from Jesus in The Sermon on the Mount. Jesus taught “. . . let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16 ESV) Our lives can and should honor our Lord. But they don’t always hallow His name, do they? Our greed and pettiness, our anger and hatred, our pride and lust, and our many other weaknesses dishonor the Lord and hurt others. That is why we pray. We need God’s help.

The Lord does give His help, in Jesus. Listen to 2 Corinthians 5. “. . . We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:20-21) Through Jesus’ holy life, through His sacrificial death on the cross, our Lord makes sinners like us righteous through faith by His forgiveness. He makes us new people.

Perhaps our best witness is when God even works through sinners like us so that we live in faith and love. That is partly why Paul writes in my devotion from 1 Timothy 5 on October 22, “ . . .godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

In my daily prayers, as I pray for myself, I have been praying for years that I might have repentance and holiness in my life. I pray that God would forgive my sins and that my life would honor Him. Perhaps that’s the godliness Paul encourages. But I do need help. “Hallowed be thy name.” in my life, Lord. May the love and forgiveness of Jesus move me to honor you!

Is godliness your prayer?