Be holy because I am holy
1 Peter 1:13-16
Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Holiness is definitely not a trait many people would associate with me! I am the first person to open the bottle of wine, tell the risqué joke, or persuade another person to break their diet and get that cheeky takeaway. My voice is loud and my words sometimes blunt. That’s certainly a big clash with my image of a holy person. I see someone quiet, unassuming, ethereal in their calm nature.
Often, and I am certainly preaching to myself here, the message of loving God and loving others is a more compelling and attractive message than being holy. Giving financially, forgiving my enemies, fighting for justice, these are things that seem much more interesting than being holy. What does being holy even mean? I find the term feels uncomfortable, like chasing holiness means setting myself as better than my non-Christian friends, never finding anything but the purest jokes funny and denying myself that second glass of wine on a Friday evening.
But ‘Holy’ means set apart. Consecrated, sanctified, devoted and righteous. Distinct from the world, culture, society that we live in. And that is where my discomfort comes from. Too often the world leaks into our faith as we take our faith out into the world. Chasing holiness is embracing that we are called to be different. And being different is hard.
I am not speaking from a place of holiness. I have definitely not achieved it (if it is something that can be “achieved”) and I can’t even pretend that I try to be holy a lot of the time! But when I talk to God about the future, what it holds, what adventures are before us, I cannot ignore that the path ahead of me has clear instructions. Be holy because I am holy. I know my God doesn’t call me to anything that isn’t for my good, and that must include holiness.
Prayer —
Dear Lord, please speak to my heart about how I can become more holy. Illuminate habits, actions, and words that stand in the way of me being set apart for your service. Thank you, that no matter what, I will always be your child. Amen.
Esther Rai