Scripture tells us that God has given us “everything we need for life and godliness.” But what makes a Christian godly? In this book, Navigator author Jerry Bridges examines what it means to grow in Christian character. Learn more about the character of God as you grow a deeper relationship with Him. Establish the foundation upon which godly character is built and continue by developing maturity and pursuing holiness.

Table of Contents:

1. Value for All Things
2. Devotion to God
3. Train Yourself to Be Godly
4. Seeking a Deeper Devotion
5. Taking On God’s Character
6. Humility
7. Contentment
8. Thankfulness
9. Joy
10. Holiness
11. Self-Control
12. Faithfulness
13. Peace
14. Patience
15. Gentleness
16. Kindness and Goodness
17. Love
18. Reaching the Goal 

About the Author 

Jerry Bridges is an author and conference speaker. His most popular book, The Pursuit of Holiness , has sold over one million copies. Jerry has been on the staff of The Navigators for over fifty years, and currently serves in the Collegiate Mission where he is involved primarily in staff development, but also serves as a speaker resource to the campus ministries.

Endorsement

I meant to read this book for several years before I actually got around to it. I can't believe I waited--it's one of the best Christian books I have read. Many Christian books encourage us to be godly, but they don't tell us how. Most of us know we should be joyful, for instance, but we don't know how to develop joy. We can try to act joyful on the outside, but unless it's from the heart, it is empty. This book takes a practical approach to developing godliness in our lives.

Jerry Bridges defines godliness as "devotion to God which results in a life that is pleasing to him." The first several chapters deal with the devotion. Bridges emphasizes the necessity of a proper motivation, and what's more, he explains some ways in which we can develop that motivation. To me, it was a completely new way of looking at things. In the remainder of the book, Bridges focuses each chapter on one or two godly traits, such as humility, joy, thanksgiving, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, self-control, and love. Bridges uses scripture to explore the traits and how we can develop them. I have read much about these traits in the past--what amazed me about this book was the practical guidance for developing them. For instance, Bridges includes many scripture passages we can meditate on and pray through to help us understand certain godly traits and grow in those areas. He also discusses our responsibility vs. God's responsibility for the development of godliness in our lives.

This book gave me a lot to think about and a new perspective on some incredibly important things. I think this book should be recommended reading for every Christian. A very good study guide is also available to supplement the book.