Today's vitamin - godliness

What exactly is godliness? Peter says it's the next thing we need to add to our faith.....
Dictionaries tell us some clues:

......a careful observance of the laws of God and performance of religious duties, proceeding from love and reverence for the divine character and commands; Christian obedience.... (courtesy of the av1611.com site)

Ohhhhhh, so if I'm there every time the church doors open, and I scrupulously tithe, and if I ask the preacher to dinner routinely, and I make certain I dress a certain way, and so on, and so on.....then I'm OK? I'm adding godliness? I mean, for Pete's sake, I'm so super (and loudly) careful about it; I'm not like some people I could name, who just don't measure up!

Oy vey. Kinda sounds like the scribes and Pharisees, doesn't it?  Many Pharisees prided themselves on their very strict avoidance of obvious, outward sin. Really looked down their noses, you might say. And they laid on so many extra rules..... we say people are legalistic today sometimes about their faith. Well, the Pharisees wrote the book on that!
But here's where they went wrong: they refused to look inside themselves and agree with God about the presence of sin. They were so interested in their man-made rules that they paid very little attention to the inner person, and God's rules.

 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. (Matthew 23:25-28)

Jesus knew that in spite of their seeming obsession with perfection, they resisted looking at their own inward corruption - and their need for grace.

Godliness is very simple: godliness refers to the believer who yields her actions and her attitudes to the Lord. Not just her outward behavior. Not just the words she speaks aloud. But the innermost being; down deep in her soul she reverences her Father.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.    And what does the Lord require of you?To act justly and to love mercy    and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

Godliness is when a Christian loves, honors, praises, worships, and serves the Lord. Not just for this life, but for the life to come.

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. (I Timothy 4:8)

Godliness is seen in a Christian who possesses humility and contentment.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. (I Timothy 6:6-7)

Godliness is when we, as believers, see ourselves for what we are and also see God for Who He is!

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (II Corinthians 7:1)

That godly Christian is the one who will strive to please God, and Him alone, not caring what other humans may think. That is an attitude that requires obedience. One of the great evidences of our growth in Christ is obedience.

 Now all has been heard;    here is the conclusion of the matter:Fear God and keep his commandments,    for this is the duty of all mankind. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Lord, help us to add to our faith, godliness!