Be Holy

Happy, happy Thursday!  Let's jump right in!

"You are to be holy to Me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own." Leviticus 20:26

Holiness is something that is often overlooked today.  I see and hear the quote all the time, "Do more of what makes you happy," and it perfectly reflects the cry of our generation: "It is my right to be happy all the time, and I must be happy all the time.  Why would I ever willingly ever do something that does not make me instantly happy?"  Sex, drugs, relationships, jobs, money, divorce...  Nowadays more than ever, the world promotes doing whatever makes you feel good.

So is being happy wrong?  Honestly, God wants us to be happy.  What good father gets off on his child being miserable?  Not a one.

But the Bible outlines wherein our ultimate happiness lies, and it may not always be in instant gratification.

I once ran across a pin on Pinterest that read the familiar quote, but with a twist: "Do more of what makes you happy holy."

So what is holiness?

I bet a lot of us think of words like 'aloof' and 'distant', or we think of someone who is somber, dry, and boring all the time.  I don't think holiness is that at all.  I think a fantastic synonym for "holy" is "perfect."

God is holy – perfect – and He is clear that He desires us to be holy – perfect – as well.  Perfection seems like such a huge task, though, doesn't it?  Where to start?  The list is SO long: no complaining, no gossiping, no lying, no lusting, as well as always sharing, always trusting, always helping...

Actually, perfection – cheerfully keeping every command in the entire Bible – is not as overwhelming as you might think.  "Everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself" (Galatians 5:14).  Did you catch that?  If we genuinely strive to love those around us, we are in fact keeping every command of Scripture!  The list of do's and don'ts is lengthy, but by living a life of love, we're covering all our bases.

Therefore, if we love with increasingly greater measure, we are keeping each and every command, and we are en route to perfection.  Holiness, then, is living a life that is consumed with loving our neighbor as Christ loves us.  Holiness will not seek its own gain.  Holiness will be quick to apologize and even faster to forgive.  Holiness will be concerned about repenting for sin.  Holiness will have an "others first" attitude.  Holiness will abstain from things that will hurt God and others.  Holiness will be sacrificial.  Holiness will spread the truth of Christ.  Holiness will be ALL ABOUT LOVE.

And how holy is God!  He is the very definition of love, the culmination of love.  Every action He does is loving, and every word He speaks is loving.  Thusly He is perfect.  He is holy.

There you have it.  Being holy is about keeping the command of Scripture, which is, cover to cover, loving God and loving people.  And if God requires us to be holy like He is, then let's get to it, shall we?  Let's don a heart of love.. the kind of love that seeks to bless, the kind of love that is generous, the kind of love that is sensitive to needs, the kind of love that is obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, the kind of love that serves, the kind of love that forgives...  Let us love.  Let us follow the example of Christ.  Let us be holy.

I believe in you!
Josh