7 Things You Don't Have to Do to Be Godly

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

Do you ever feel like you're just not good enough at being a Christian? Here are seven things you don't have to do to be godly.

1. You don’t have to read your Bible for a certain amount of time each day.

It certainly is a good practice to read the Bible every day, but Scripture gives Christians no prescribed length of time for doing so. The Bible does tell us that “all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16–17).

2. You don’t have to figure out what your Christian “ministry” is.

Christians don’t need to define a specific “ministry” that they are doing for God. Everything Christians do to love God and their neighbor in their family, church, work, and community life is part of their sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord (Col. 3:17).

3. You don’t have to tithe.

True, Abraham tithed to Melchizedek in Genesis 14:17–20, and God instituted a tithing system in the covenant he made with the Israelites on Mount Sinai (Lev. 27; Num. 18; Deut. 26). Yet, Christians are now in the new covenant era, which was ushered in by the death and resurrection of Jesus. The civil and ceremonial laws of the old covenant under Moses are no longer in force.

The tithe amount of ten percent can be a good guideline for Christians in determining how much to give, but believers are not obligated to any set percentage: “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7).

4. You don’t have to send your children to a certain kind of school.

Public schools, private schools, and homeschooling are all valid choices for educating children. The Bible does not bind the Christian to a specific method of schooling. It does tell fathers to bring children “up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4).

5. You don’t have to pray for a certain amount of time each day.

The Bible doesn’t tell Christians how long they should pray each day. Sometimes Christians should pray more than they do. Sometimes believers pray when they should be fulfilling the responsibilities God has given them. When Paul tells us to pray without ceasing, he wants believers to know that praying to God is an activity that should pervade the Christian life (1 Thess. 5:16–18).

6. You don’t have to wear certain styles of clothes or live certain kinds of lifestyles.

Christians should honor God in all they do (Col. 3:17). For women, being godly is not about being a stay-at-home mom or wearing specifically female-type clothing (i.e. dresses). For men, being godly could mean being a stay-at-home dad. The Bible tells Christians “to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you” (1 Thess. 4:11).

While the Bible tells women to dress modestly, what that looks like in real life will vary from one culture to another (1 Tim. 2:9). In his letter to Timothy, Paul is making the point that women should honor the Lord in their appearance.

7. You don’t have to convince God that you are good enough.

By grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone, God has already accepted you (Rom. 5:1; 15:7). You can joyfully offer up sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord each day as you seek to honor him in all things, for “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).

Related Articles:

• 3 Good Things to Remember When You Feel Overwhelmed by Your Sin and Failures

• 12 Reasons Why Jesus Meant It When He Said, “It Is Finished

• Got Peace Right Now? 7 Things You Need to Know About Your Justification in Christ

• Christian Basics: What Are the Five “Alones” and Why Do You Need to Know Them?

• Works in the Book of James—“Fruits and Evidences of a True and Lively Faith”

• 8 Covenants in the Bible and What They Mean for You Personally Today

Recommended:

All of Grace by Charles Spurgeon