Holy is as Holy Does

I love when I get the opportunity to sit with holy people who are doing beautiful things to glorify God.  The thrill and satisfaction they get when serving their brothers and sisters in Christ through their particular ministry is truly inspiring. I can get so caught up in their excitement about the work they are doing that it makes me want to do great things for the church also!!

I must admit though, that sometimes I leave those conversations with more than just inspiration. Depending on the current state of affairs in my work and family life it is possible for me to leave those conversations burdened with a sense of self-doubt and a feeling of discontent. Unfortunately, I do occasionally head down that slippery slope of self-doubt, as I begin to doubt whether I am “doing” enough or whether I am even doing the right thing. That self-doubt leads to a battle of my “selfs”. I get caught up in a battle between my reasonable self and my “I can do it all” self!

I like to think big so the “I can do it all” self, struggles to be satisfied with my ho-hum, ordinary life. My limited level of service frustrates that part of me and the “I can do it all” self begins to whine. It whispers in my ear, “To be holy you really need to be doing more” or “to really glorify God you need to be doing something else, something much bigger!”

It’s easy for me to look at those individuals who seem to have visibly successful ministries and get confused about what I am supposed to be doing to glorify God. It’s like a deer in head lights. When something big and bright comes into my path, sometimes I forget what I am and were I am going! Thankfully I do have a reasonable side, and an amazing coach and spiritual guide, otherwise I could get myself in a whole lot of trouble!

I really do want to be holy and glorify God. So how?

“But, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, for it is written, be holy because I am holy” ~ 1 Peter 1:16                 

I am called to be holy in every aspect of my conduct. I don’t have to go looking for ways to be holy.

It’s actually super simple and super hard all at the same time… simple because God in his infinite wisdom has fit a life for me full of opportunities to choose holiness. Hard because he has fit a life for me full of opportunities to choose holiness! Those opportunities present themselves in every facet of my life. They come from my daily responsibilities and activities, my normal mundane day to day life.

Each circumstance, each encounter, each relationship provides me the opportunity to choose to glorify God with my thoughts, words and actions. From family and friends to work and hobbies the opportunities sometimes seem endless.

We can choose holiness in every circumstance and every relationship in our lives. It’s true, holiness is not easy because it frequently demands that we step outside our comfort zone!  We all know that life is hard!  So in the face of that difficulty or discomfort is our opportunity to choose a holy response. Whether it be a certain situation or a relationship, our response is what will either be a blessing or a curse. Either holy or not.

Instead of asking yourself, “What more or what else can I do?”

Ask, “How can I be holy and glorify God in the situation or relationship I am in right now?

So blessed to have all these “opportunities” in my life!