"But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him" (Psalm 4:3).

We are often told that we should be godly men and women. Psalm 4:3 says, "But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly..." Obviously it is important to God that we live godly lives, but what exactly does this mean? God demands a specific standard of conduct from His disciples in what we think, say, and do.

The thoughts that we choose to dwell on are important.

"The thought of foolishness is sin" (Proverbs 24:9).

Contrary to what many believe, not all thoughts are harmless - they can be sinful! Fortunately, the Bible informs us how we should think. Philippians 4:8 asserts that we must meditate on things that are true, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. What thoughts preoccupy your time and attention? Our thoughts should not be focused on the sinful things of the world, but instead on the word of God. Meditating on the Scriptures will not only keep us from sinning with our thoughts, but also help us to grow as godly Christians.

In addition, our words are by no means trivial.

"The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself" (Ecclesiastes 10:12).

Our words, if wisely chosen, will do much good. Something as simple as encouraging someone who is working hard for the Lord, or lifting up one who has become disheartened, can have an immeasurable effect on our brethren. However, if we choose to speak words that are foolish and evil, we will only hurt ourselves and others. In Titus 2:8, we are admonished to have "sound speech that cannot be condemned..." This sound speech is not always what the world classifies as good. It involves accurate teaching, condemnation of sin, and professing a lifestyle that runs counter to the sinful world. However, to be godly, we must do what is pleasing to God and not the world.

Finally, our actions should exemplify the life of a disciple of Christ.

We are not to place ourselves in high esteem and forget that we are servants, not masters. We must "present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God..." (Romans 12:1) We cannot have feet that run to evil as so many do. Christians are supposed to be sanctified, chaste, and righteous, not seekers of evil. Every choice we make is based on who we want to be - a disciple of Christ or a follower of the passions of the world. God commands us to be "the salt of the earth" and the "light of the world" (Matt. 5:13, 14). We are Christians; we must be different.

In conclusion, living a godly life means being righteous in the things we think, say, and do. When you are tempted to violate the commands of God, remember that we are not called to be one of the many that ignore Him. We have accepted Christ through baptism, so we must maintain a pure and holy lifestyle in every way. If we do so, we can "enter by the narrow gate... which leads to life" (Matt. 7:13-14).