HOLY.
For me, this word had gotten a bad rap. It
conjured up images of stuffy, stoic scholars dressed in elaborate deceptions,
sitting on shaky judgment seats while enforcing religious rules. No one trusts
these delegates of fear. Or my
Imagination of HOLY envisioned some pious recluses, donned in sheets of cloth,
murmuring ancient sayings while wandering down dark arched halls. Whatever I might see when I heard the word,
HOLY, it usually included NOT HAVING FUN.
When I first became a believer and heard the
word HOLY spoken in Sunday sermons, referring to the congregation, I
shuddered with dread. UGH. I didn’t want to be HOLY.
I wanted to have FUN - to
enjoy, to laugh, to eat, drink and be merry. That word HOLY seemed to
overshadow me with a dark cloud of duty, striving, critical competition and approval
seeking. I rebelled. I thought, “Ok. I’ll believe in Jesus, do good to people
and that’s about it. This HOLY stuff is for the birds."
Boy, was I wrong.
First, I was wrong about the word, HOLY. It didn’t mean rigid rules or hiding under
sheets of cloth or stoic scholars. It
met something entirely different. In
defense of my misunderstanding, I’d never heard the truth about HOLY. My assumption of trying to be “good enough”
looked like it was modeled well among many Christians, and that’s where my
problem started. I
believed a lie.
One day, in my
quest to reconcile the Jesus I admired and the word HOLY, I found it…
This nugget of freedom –
HOLY:
"intact, complete, taken away from common usage, designed for higher
purposes."
I had been taking the word HOLY and applying it
according to standards I don’t even like – standards based on appearance and
not the heart. That’s why I felt so
uncomfortable in places where holiness was judged by how I did something
instead of who God was making me to be. When I started meditating on HOLY as God intended; my life began reflecting a Creator who LOVES
me. His ways don’t bring fierce judgment
but direction on how to live a beautiful life, full of joy and destiny.
I am free to be who God made me to be. I am intact not stressed. I am complete not
striving. I’m taken away from common usage – not needing to do what everyone else
is doing. I’m designed for my higher purpose – to be the best me! I'm embracing HOLY.
As I continue reflecting on this understanding
of HOLY, I see how God has opened doors to share it with women in Kenya. Many of these widowed mamas, single mamas,
young girls are poisoned by lies – “HOLY
is only for men of God, HOLY doesn’t include them. They are too poor for HOLY,
too weak, too needy, too uneducated, undeserving, unloved…
This false idea
of HOLY has led some to gossip about each other or even leave the faith because
they thought they could never measure up.
But I see
HOLY HOPE!
God reveals himself in
strange ways, like sewing group discussions that lead to healthy introspection,
or visiting under mango trees, sipping ruby-colored roselle tea and praying for
brokenness to be healed.
God is showing
these women Jesus was sent for them to live intact, to live complete, to leave
behind common usage and embrace their higher purposes
of loving God and caring
for others.
My HOLY
goals for 2015?
- Let myself soberly reflect on the epistles as they relate to my journey with Jesus.
- Entrust my family more and more to the unending security of God’s grace.
- Move with HOLY Spirit’s gracious discernment in ministry among the least.
“But be holy -
"intact, complete, taken away from common usage,
designed for higher purposes" now in everything you do, just as the Lord is holy, who
invited you to be his child. He himself has said, “You must be holy, for I am
holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16.
Enjoy a HOLY new year!
