Godliness

 Godliness

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

(2 Peter 1:5-8 NAS95) [Emphasis Added].

The word translated godliness in the passage above carries the idea of proper worship. Used only by Peter (Act_3:12), and in the Pastoral Epistles. It is from εὐ, well, and σέβομαι, to worship, so that the radical idea is worship rightly directed. Worship, however, is to be understood in its etymological sense, worth-ship, or reverence paid to worth, whether in God or man (Vincent’s Word Studies).

Therefore, whether in private worship or corporate worship, we should give God our full attention. We should always seek to eliminate distractions. Distracted worship is a half-hearted approach to worship. So, prepare your heart for worship through prayer. Ask God for grace to hear what He wants you to hear. 

Please don’t discard this too easily. Remember what Jesus said at the well."But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24 NAS95).

Can a half-hearted approach to God really be considered done in spirit and truth? Instead, Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in holy array (Psalms 29:2 NAS95). Amen.