“Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 NLT)

If you’ve ever felt scrutinized, as though people were just waiting for you to fail, you’re in good company. King David once wrote of his enemies, “The proud have set a trap to catch me; they have stretched out a net; they have placed traps all along the way” (Psalm 140:5 NLT). But they weren’t about to break his stride. In the very next verse, he wrote, “I said to the Lord, ‘You are my God!’ Listen, O Lord, to my cries for mercy!” (Psalm 140:6 NLT). Instead of worrying about his enemies, David focused on his Lord. He left his worries in the hands of God.

As Christians, we should strive to be godly—and not to appear godly to other people. There’s a big difference between the two. The apostle Paul offered a glimpse of what it means to live a godly life in Romans 12:1–2: “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (NLT).

Living a godly life starts inside, in the way we think. The transformation Paul was talking about shifts our priorities. It changes the way we see others, the way we approach conflict and hardship, and the things we choose to do.

And to his protégé Timothy, Paul wrote, “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 NLT). You’ll notice that God’s approval, and not other people’s approval, is what we should be striving for.

Of course, when we fall short in our responsibility to others—and we will—we should admit it. When someone points out our mistakes, we should confess, “You’re right. My actions were not consistent with my beliefs. I apologize for that. And I hope I have not changed your opinion of the God whom I follow, because I make mistakes. But God is always true.” As Christians, we must be honest enough to admit when we fail.

The apostle James wrote, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16 NLT).

Life is too short to worry about other people’s opinions. Instead, work hard to present yourself as a living and holy sacrifice so that you might receive God’s approval. You’ll never regret it.

Reflection question: What does godliness look like in your daily life?

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