Simply Put: Be Holy

I heard it again this morning...be holy.   It seems those words are every where I turn.  Maybe God is trying to tell me something...hmm....

This isn't the first time He's called a people to be holy.  He called Israel to be holy from the very beginning.

God intentionally desired Israel to be different.  They were to be "set apart."  For example, Israel's government didn't even include a king. That was unheard of in Old Testament times.  Instead, God was their King, and they were to follow His reign.  He gave them judges like Gideon and Samson to protect them and take them into battle.  He gave them priests like Samuel to lead them. He gave them rules for their health - ways of living to keep bacteria and disease at bay - many of which we still use today.  He provided for their every need.  After all, that's what a good King does.

And He did so, so that Israel would be "set apart."  They would be holy.  They would be intentionally different.  Of course, because of this, the other nations would have looked at Israel and seen that their God was the one true God.  They would be amazed at how this massive group of people could not only survive, but thrive in the Middle East.

Yet, Israel wasn't satisfied with God as their King.  As a matter of fact, they chose to disregard Him completely.  They wanted someone physical...someone they could see...someone who would make them be "like all the other nations," (I Sam. 8:20).

They didn't want the holiness of God.  They wanted the comradery of man.

I don't blame them.  We do the same thing today, don't we?  We choose to be like the world around us, instead of standing up and standing out for God's holiness.  We don't want to ruffle someone's feathers by not agreeing with them.  We'd rather blend in with the rest of the crowd and NOT be seen.  We'd rather soothe their minds with apologetic phraseology, than live according to the principles found in the Word of God.

This should not be.  We, as Believers, must be so careful NOT to lose our identity with God.  We must be careful to protect His holiness with our lives, and not apologize for His Words and who He has called us to be.

I Peter 1:16 says we are to be holy as God is holy.  Imagine that...the children of God are to look like and act like, well, their Father.   And do you know why...because it stands to reason that when we emulate the Father, people are drawn to Him.  "Other nations" - our neighbors, our co-workers, our friends and family members are in wonder at our lives, but not because of us.  They know that no human could handle life with such grace.  It must come from somewhere else...from someONE else...someONE they need to know.  

Father, help me to be holy.  Help me emulate Your behavior in every situation...Your love...Your compassion...Your mercy...Your Truth...so that others will KNOW that You are my King.   Thank You, Father.  Thank You.   

TAKE IT OFF!

My children tell me that when someone texts in all caps, it means they're screaming the statement. So, here's my best shot:  TAKE IT OFF!  Can you hear me?  I'm screaming...mostly at myself. If you would like to join me in screaming at yourself, go right ahead.  It might be a great idea, and here's why.  

I was quite convicted this morning as I read I Peter 2:1-2.  It says, "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and all evil speaking...."  So, what does that have to do with screaming, “TAKE IT OFF?”  Well, that's what "laying aside" actually means - the "taking off" of things. In this case, the things are well, nasty things.

Picture yourself coming in from a hard day of physical labor.  Your are SO dirty that your spouse takes one look at you, grabs his/her nose in disgust and points towards the shower.  You gingerly remove the filthy garments, trying not to disturb any loose dirt or dust, hopefully keeping the grit and grime on the clothing and not on the floor.  You get cleaned up and are ready to emerge as the new and improved version of yourself.  Your spouse gives you a thumbs-up signal, and you are once again allowed to join your family.  

The next day, though, you begin to miss those clothes.  That shirt was your favorite and those pants...well, they fit so well.  Maybe the dirt magically disappeared overnight.  You return to the bathroom, collect the filth-covered garments and sneak into your room.  Little by little, you slide into the clothes.  Hmm...they don't smell THAT bad (notice the all caps...that should tell you something). They aren't THAT dirty.  So, you ignore the winces and grimaces of your family as you pass and head to work.

That's ridiculous, isn't it?  Who would be crazy enough to put those nasty, dirty, stinking, disgusting clothes back on their nice, clean frame?  Who would do that kind of a thing?!?  

I'll tell you "who."  It's anyone who isn't careful NOT to re-clothe themselves in filth.  

Peter is telling Believers to make sure that they take off those nasty "clothes" of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and evil speaking, never to put them on again. For clarification, let me give you a little definition of each.  Malice is any ungodly act with the idea in mind that you are trying to get revenge...to cause someone harm.  Deceit is anything that looks like a lie, including "little white lies." There is no such thing. It's a lie. Hypocrisy is pretending you are someone you are not, including a happy-go lucky Christian. Envy is deep-seated desire of something that belongs to someone else. Finally, evil speaking is another word for slander. It's gossip, which is just a prettier word for slander.

Now do you see why Peter is saying these things MUST GO! We must TAKE THEM OFF, if we are to look like the children of God - if we are to be holy, as He is holy. We must take them off, fighting to never pick them up again.

So, when we feel that harsh word about to erupt from our mouths, if we picture ourselves re-clothing ourselves in filth, we might be less likely to allow that word to spew forth. If when we are tempted to want what the Jones' have, we picture the look on our family's faces as we walk around wearing the disgusting clothes, just maybe we'll repent and lay the nasty things down. If when we want others to think we are someone we are not, then, maybe we should take a spiritual whiff of hypocrisy. That should do it.

Thank You, Lord that You are patient with me.  Convict me of the sins of my mouth and the depravity of my heart.  Convict, so that I might repent and take those things off, leaving them for good.  

Setting Things Aright

I looked out in dismay at the damage.  Hurricaine Hermine had wreaked a little havoc on my backyard.  I had a good-sized Dogwood branch covering my back deck, but that wasn't my main concern. No.  My main concern was my garden.

Peering out my kitchen window, I saw a large clump of vegetation where my rows used to exist.  I picked my chin up off the floor and headed out back.  It was just as I had suspected. The winds had knocked down the posts holding the tomatoes, so they were a jumbled mess.  The peppers were a mess, too.  The stalks had collapsed under the pressure of the large fruit, strong winds and heavy rains.  Most of the branches were touching the ground - too heavy to pull themselves aright.

So, I set to work, staking and gently persuading the plants back into an upright position. Now, the garden is back to normal.  All it took was a little nudge here and there, as well as a little know-how to turn it all around.  I didn't lose a thing.

However, on occasions in the past, I have lost plants after a storm. It wasn't through any real fault of my own.  It was simply because they refused to be set aright.  The stalks broke at the base, unwillingly to yield to my hand.

All through the Proverbs, Scripture talks about that very thing - "correction" - setting things aright.  It has some pretty hard and direct words for those who choose NOT to heed correction (or discipline), and yet, it has some wonderful words to encourage those who do!  For instance, Proverbs 12:1 states: "Whoever loves discipline, loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 13:18 states:  "He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored." Let's do one more - Proverbs 15:32 states:  "He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding."

Now, based on those verses, who do you want to be - someone who listens to correction or someone who does not?  Of course, according to the Word of God, it would be foolish to say that we don't want discipline.  That would be like saying, "Sure, I want to be poor...and shameful...and stupid...and hate myself."

And yet, that's exactly how we respond to correction many times, isn't it?  We respond in anger and resentment with a "how dare you" attitude?  We choose not to thank the bearer of correction for seeing into our situation and caring enough to try and "stand aright" our behavior.  We don't even see the need for our own admonishment.  I hate to say it, but I am afraid we'd rather have a pat on the back, rather than a lift out of the dirt.

How ridiculous would it be for my pepper plants to look at me with disgust as I try to rescue them from the mud.  I'm sure it's not the most comfortable thing for them.  It stretches them and moves them in ways they are not accustomed.  However, it is the BEST thing for them.
 
So the next time someone tries to lift you or me "back up" or "correct" us, may we remember that Godly correction is not a terrible thing. It's much the opposite.  Plus, if we choose to listen to what's being said and yield to it, our lives will be blessed beyond what we deserve.

Father, correction is difficult.  I don't always like to experience it.  But Your Word tells me that Godly correction is necessary and needed.  Help me to listen to Your voice and yield to Your hand.  Amen.