Ancient Greek philosopher Socrates is credited with saying, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

This line of thinking, developed nearly 2500 years ago, applies to our lives as Christian believers today. Let’s examine the question: What does it mean to be a godly man?”

There are many characteristics that come to mind when thinking about godliness and living the kind of life the Lord wants for us. Today, we’re talking about honesty.

In our culture—even in our Christian culture—lying is often treated as harmless. In fact, many of us lie automatically, without a second thought. Much of the time we aren’t even aware we’re being dishonest.

We may exaggerate, change the facts “a little” so we look good, tell a police officer we didn’t know we were speeding, cheat on our income taxes, or make up stories about our past. Sometimes we lie by omission, leaving out important details to protect our pride or avoid accountability.

Proverbs 19:1 says, “Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.”

Crooked in speech...in this verse, God’s Word reveals just how well He knows our tendency toward sin, including dishonesty.

As men and women after God’s own heart, it is vital for us to examine our words, our deeds, and our actions to see that they fall in line with God’s instructions for living, in order to fulfill His good plans for our lives.

A godly man is honest.

Let’s pray. Lord, thank you for calling us to be honest in every facet of our lives. Your Word reveals powerful truth for our lives. Thank you for your instruction, and your forgiveness when we fall short. Help us to be honest in word, deed, and action. Amen

Have you ever recorded minutes for a meeting? Whether you were taking notes at work or for a volunteer organization, such as the PTA at your child’s school, taking minutes and reporting on them at a follow-up meeting is an important responsibility.

What ideas were discussed?

How were those ideas followed up on?

Who, including yourself, agreed to complete certain tasks before the next meeting? And were those tasks completed on time, and correctly?

Recording minutes looks pretty mundane from the outside, but this person ultimately holds colleagues accountable to their responsibilities.

If someone was taking minutes on your life, what would those minutes say about you, in the end?

Romans 14:12 says, “So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”

In this verse, Paul isn’t talking about salvation; when you’ve given your heart to the Lord, He offers forgiveness and salvation freely. We can’t earn or lose God’s promise of eternal life for us. Salvation is a gift.

Paul is talking about the judgment seat of Christ — a moment at the end of time when we will be accountable to Jesus for our actions in life. Did we create lasting value? Did we serve Him, and others, well? Were we ultimately responsible during our lifetime?

As believers, our goal should be to leave lasting value, to impact others for eternity, and ultimately to take responsibility for the legacy we are leaving in the name of Jesus.

A godly man is responsible.

Let’s pray.

Lord, along with the gift of salvation comes the incredible responsibility of sharing the Good News with others. Thank you for loving us enough to sacrifice yourself for us, and for the gift of salvation. Help us each to be responsible for sharing that gift with others. Amen.

In Luke Chapter 7 verses 1-10, Jesus heals the servant of a centurion soldier at Capernaum. These verses illustrate the faith this soldier has that Jesus can heal his favorite servant.

We also learn in these verses that the Jewish people of the city knew of this particular centurion, and put in a good word for him with Jesus, because he had built the Jewish temple in Capernaum on their behalf.

Imagine that! A gentile, a man who was a soldier of some esteem in command of other soldiers in his city, built the local Jewish synagogue.

This brief window into the centurion’s character shows us that generosity can and should extend not just within our own family or our most familiar community, but to others who look, think, and act differently than we do.

This man’s willingness to complete such an act on behalf of the Jewish people in his community is an example for us today, that we should seek to be generous whenever God provides the opportunity to do so — even if the recipient is not who we expected it to be.

2 Corinthians 9:6 says, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”

A godly man is generous.

Let’s pray.

Lord, you have given us so much! Every good thing comes from you, and we are blessed to call you Father. Plant a seed of generosity in our hearts and help it grow, that we will share the gifts you’ve given freely, and at every opportunity. Amen.

Picture what it would be like to lose everything in one fell swoop. Your house burns to the ground. The stock market plummets and all your money is gone. Worst of all, your children fall ill and die. Suddenly, you’ve lost not only your material possessions, but your family, too.

When people refer to someone as having “the patience of Job,” they say that for a reason.

Job was a man of immense wealth, the richest man in the region, and was the father of 7 sons and 3 daughters he loved dearly. He was also a faithful servant of the Lord, and grateful for every blessing.

In a terrible turn of events, Job lost his fortune in a single day. His crops, property, livestock, and servants were gone. Most devastating of all, Job lost his children. But Job didn’t blame God. He accepted that God had a plan for him, and was patient as he waited for the Lord to reveal that plan. He knew that sometimes bad things happen to good people, and he continued to praise the Lord in the midst of trial.

Exodus 14:14 says, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Job lost everything, but he didn’t take matters into his own hands to seek justice for what he had lost. He fell to his knees and worshipped the Lord, and then he was still. In the quiet of his soul, Job knew God had a plan, and in the end, God restored to Job twice as much as he had in the beginning.

A godly man is patient.

Let’s pray.

Lord, waiting is hard to do. Waiting for an answer. Waiting for resolution. Waiting for things to get better. Restore peace and patience as we grow in faith and learn to wait on you. We trust you. Amen.

The most influential ruler of all time, the greatest king to ever walk the face of the earth, is also mankind’s greatest example of humility.

Jesus may have been born in a stable, but the Son of our Creator God was anything but ordinary. He lived a humble life, but performed miracles along the way, and showed us what it means to be a humble servant leader among men.

Jesus selflessly took human form, God incarnate, to become a living sacrifice for our sins. He did not profess His innocence and demand to be taken down from the cross; rather Philippians 2:8 says, “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Jesus gave up His place on the throne where God rules the universe. He gave up His power to defend Himself, but willingly gave His life as a ransom for many. He loved us so much that He died for us. He endured shame, ridicule, torture, and an agonizing death on a cross.

What greater humility is there?

Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

A godly man is humble, and Jesus Christ is our ultimate example.

Let’s pray.

Lord, we are humbled by your sacrifice. Jesus took our sin upon Himself when he took our place on the cross, and the gift of salvation is the result of Your Son’s choice. We are so grateful for your love. Amen.

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