fruit of godliness

Pleasing God is not a means to our personal godliness, it is the fruit of our godliness for it is the fruit of trust. We will never please God through our efforts to become godly. Rather, we will only please God - and become godly - when we trust God. ~ Thrall, McNicol, and Lynch; TrueFaced

See also:

• Genesis 4.4-5; the issue wasn't Cain's offering, it was the motive within him.
• 1 Samuel 13.5-15; He 3.18-19; 4.2; King Saul struggled with trust. He thought sacrifice would please God but God preferred obedience as evidence of trust.