I noticed on social media that someone had posted a picture of a friend, and there were several comments underneath it. I quickly looked to see what people said. Every comment was a glowing statement about how “good,” “wonderful,” and “kind” this person was.

The problem was, I know this person too.

While some might describe them as a good person, they are far from God. Their life does not reflect strong faith, and in fact, several areas of their life could be described as ungodly.

There is a hard truth we need to understand: Following Jesus will lead you to becoming a good person, but being a good person does not mean you are following Jesus.

Our ultimate goal should be to become a godly person.

Godly people seek God’s things first. They value truth and are willing to confront evil, even when they find it in their own lives. They are willing to have hard conversations. They are willing to establish protective boundaries. And they understand that doing what is right will not always make them popular, because they have chosen to serve God above others’ approval.

Being good is not the same as being godly.

When my life is over, and people are describing me, I hope they say more than, “He was a good guy.”

I hope they can say, “He loved God. He followed Jesus. He tried to live his life for Him.”

Because when everything else is stripped away, being godly matters far more than simply being good.