Make a difference – Day 11

“Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16

Imagine being chosen before birth to never cut your hair or drink any alcohol; or imagine being taken out of your country in the prime of your youth, away from faith and family, to serve a foreign leader – one who would have the power of life and death over you; or imagine being chosen to live in the desert and wear camel’s-hair clothes, eat honey and locusts. Samson, Daniel and John the Baptist, respectively, were set apart like this to serve God (Judges 13; Daniel 1; Matthew 3).

These are examples in the Bible of extreme holy living of only a tiny sample of the people God called. Although it was no doubt difficult for each one to be so different and to live with antagonism from their contemporaries because of it, they all fulfilled God’s purposes for their lives. God always equips the people he calls and his strength is perfected in their weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Think of your own life. Can you see evidence in it of God setting you apart to serve him; or evidence of what you choose to do for him, which sets you apart from your contemporaries? When you commit your life to serve Christ, you realise that there are things from your old life that still tug at you, but which need to be left behind so that you can be totally dedicated to the Lord. Paul told the Ephesians “to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-23)

Peter’s use of the image of God’s people as strangers, temporary residents of this world, is helpful. We contribute excellently towards its well-being, have a healthy respect for those in authority and enjoy anything wholesome in it; but as citizens of heaven we never forget whom we serve, or lose our values and, thus, get immersed into a culture with contempt towards God.

Holiness is a command, not just a fine objective to add to our bucket lists – “without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

Let us start weeding out anything in our lives that comes between us and God, anything unholy, and then be focused on discovering ways that we can become more like him. Let us ask him to make us conscious of problem areas and then remove them one at a time; he will help us to be obedient.