Believe it or not, 2022 is right around the corner. I always like the end of the year because it is an excellent time for reflection, self-examination, and prayerful commitment to new habits for the coming year. As I have written before (and here), I have been working through Jerry Bridges’ book “The Practice of Godliness.”This thought provoking volume has caused me to ask the question recently “how do I intend to grow in godliness in 2022?” Below is the quote that caused me to start asking the question.

“So there is a sense in which we are growing in our character every day. The question is, In which direction are we growing? Are we growing toward godly character or ungodly character?”

“The Practice of Godliness” by Jerry Bridges

What the quote means

This quote appears in a section where Bridges makes the point that developing godly character is a progression. You must “train yourself for godliness” as Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7. In other words, godly character is not going to just “happen” to you. You aren’t going to wake up one morning in perfect imitation of Christ. Godliness takes effort.

The word “train” should make you think of an Olympic athlete. An individual does not magically compete at the Olympic level. It requires training. Work. Commitment. Dedication. In commanding Timothy to train himself unto godliness, Paul is calling Timothy to work and to put forth consistent effort.

But then Bridges makes another point: you can train yourself “in the wrong direction” i.e. towards ungodliness. He references 2 Peter 2:14 which mentions false teachers who trained themselves in greed. Bridges then concludes this discussion by giving the quote above and saying every day what you do, think, or say will either lead you to godliness or to ungodliness. In other words:

You are becoming what you are training yourself to be today.

Why it is important

There is no neutral territory when it comes to godliness. Today, you will either grow in godliness or in ungodliness. The same will be true of tomorrow, the next day, and every single day in 2022 and every year after that. For the Christian, there is no “middle ground” between godly character and ungodly character. The actions you do, the things your heart values, and the thoughts you have on any given day are either in accordance with God’s revealed character or they are not. Therefore, it makes sense to conclude that whatever you find yourself habitually doing, thinking, and feeling indicates whether you are becoming a more or less godly person.

This has enormous implications. If Bridges’ point is true, then every day where you feel like you have not grown in godliness is a day you regressed. There are no “rest days” in your pursuit of godliness. If you resolve to work out more consistently in 2022, you can take rest days and still achieve your goal. But if you want to grow in godliness, you must commit every day to the pursuit of it.

Additionally, this means that there are no neutral actions, thoughts, or attitudes. If you are tired and lash out in anger towards your spouse or kids, you don’t get a free pass. That action and the corresponding attitude are ungodly and if not repented of, they will train you towards ungodliness. What I find helpful about Bridges’ quote is that he gives you an easy barometer to examine your actions:

Ask yourself “Is that thought, action, or attitude directing me towards Christ-likeness or away from it?”

Takeaways

1. Resolve to grow in godliness this year regardless of any other goals you might have

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.

1 Timothy 4:8, ESV

If you are a Christian, your resolution every single day should be to grow in godliness. The New Year is simply a good time to remind yourself of what Jesus already called you to. And make no mistake: of all the resolutions you make for 2022, training yourself unto godliness is the most important one and the most difficult one. If you miss a workout day, it won’t endanger your soul. But every day you are not training yourself unto godliness is a day you are regressing towards ungodly character. Growing in godliness is not easy; it is part of daily spiritual warfare.

But remember what Paul says in 1 Timothy 4:8. Your other resolutions might make you more productive or physically stronger or healthier but only godliness will benefit your present life and your life to come. When things get difficult, remind yourself that a day spent fighting for godliness is not a day wasted.

Every step towards godliness is pleasing to God, glorifies Christ, and better prepares you for the eternal weight of glory to come.

2. Honestly reflect at the end of each day whether you grew towards or away from Christ-likeness

This is where the “rubber meets the road”, so to speak. If you want to commit to grow in godliness in 2022, you are going to have to commit to daily, honest, self-reflection. You are going to have to take stock of what you did, what you felt, and what you thought. For most people, that means taking some time in the morning or before bed to get out a journal and prayerfully ask the Lord to help you see your day through His eyes. Then, you can examine ways you made spiritual progress, things you need to repent of, and ways you can improve tomorrow.

To use the workout analogy, most of the time when you are physically training you keep some sort of log of what you did, how many reps you accomplished, and the weight you used. So it shouldn’t be surprising that keeping a log of your spiritual life is one of the best tools available for training yourself unto godliness. Look at your schedule and set aside 15-30 minutes of your day for self-reflection. That way, by this time next year, you can have a journal full of reasons to praise the Lord and thank Him for His faithfulness to you as He progressively conformed you to the image of His Son.

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