The Pursuit of Holiness
Right about now, New Year’s resolutions and promises to make 2017 the year of [insert your word of the year here] are getting lost in the hurry and flurry of real life. Donuts at the office and pizza for dinner (again) weigh down our hopes of establishing healthy eating habits. Our promise to run every day? Chased off by the need to run errands instead. Our read-through-the-Bible plan is stalled somewhere in Egypt. Poor Joseph may never get out of prison.
We are likely accustomed to falling short when it comes to lofty diet and fitness goals. It’s almost a given that our high ideals will sink. However, what should our attitude be when we fall short in spiritual disciplines? After all, Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15 ESV).
I grew up in a church with sticker charts on the wall of every Sunday school classroom. Smiley faces and gold stars were (to my mind) visual evidence of my holiness. I reported on my good deeds every Sunday morning. I collected a row full of stickers for Scripture memorization, bringing my Bible to church, dropping coins in the plate, and inviting friends to church. I learned how to do Christianity.
But eventually, those stickers failed me. When my life became challenging, I looked to my metaphorical sticker chart as evidence that God should bless me with a worry-free life. My mind created a holy equation in which my performance equaled God’s blessing, and when things didn’t add up, I decided to ditch my disciplined discipleship.
Discipline alone doesn’t make us holy. The checklists I used in childhood taught me how to act like a disciple of Christ. It wasn’t until I returned from my prodigal journey that I became a true disciple of Christ. Instead of following Jesus out of habit, I made the decision to follow Jesus no matter the cost, no matter the outcome.
All of a sudden, those Christian disciplines I’d practiced for decades inspired fresh motivation. I began to do the right things out of love for my Savior instead of fear of God’s anger. Instead of viewing spiritual disciplines as a requirement, I embraced them as a luxury. My time in God’s Word transitioned from a ritual to a passion. Prayer became less of a checklist and more of a conversation.
The pursuit of holiness is much more than a part of our grand plan for a better life. Perfecting our outward behavior is not the goal of the Christian life. Our aim is to have a heart fully aligned with God. This isn’t something to check off a list; it is an ongoing process, incomplete until we meet Jesus.
Satan would like nothing more than to get us focused on the wrong things. If he can convince us that our righteousness is dependent on our ability to get it right, he can ensure we will feel discouraged the very first morning we fail to read our Bibles. Once we believe the lie that God’s love and approval rest on our perfection, Satan drives a wedge between the Savior and the saved.
God loves you wholly and completely even before you place a single sticker on your holiness chart. He sent his Son to die for you before you did one good thing to earn his favor. Your trips and falls on the pathway to holiness are fully covered by his unending grace and mercy.
Setting a goal to spend time with God is never a bad thing. He loves you and wants you to enjoy a consistent and intimate relationship with him. A heart motivated by love is a great place to start. Spend time in God’s Word to help you learn more about his character and his desires for your life. Converse with God through prayer. Give out of gratitude.
Remember, while spiritual disciplines help strengthen our relationship with God, his love is not dependent on them. If you blew it today, get up and try again tomorrow. His love is faithful, and his mercies are new every morning!
Kelly Smith is a small town girl who married a small town man 17 years ago. She has three energetic blessings, ages 1 to 11. Her favorite indulgences are coffee, reading, writing, and running. Kelly believes we are created for community and loves to find ways to connect with other women who are walking in the shadow of the cross. She blogs at mrsdisciple.com.
Photograph © Peter Seman, used with permission
As a perfectionist by nature, it is SUCH a relief to know that God’s mercies are new every day. So many times, I let myself get so discouraged–whether it is over spiritual goals, exercise goals, or even just when I find myself being grumpy. I liked what you said about Satan driving a wedge because that is exactly what he does. I will remember that the next time I find myself feeling discouraged, and I will make it a point to turn to the light of God’s love & unending grace instead. Thank you for this post! 🙂
This was something much harder for me when I was a young Christian, but I still slip into it from time to time. And how did you know I was in Egypt with Joseph? 🙂
But I think your words are a good reminder. We love because he first loved us. We don’t love so we can be loved. Thank you for your post.
Yes! This post. And this line – “God loves you wholly and completely even before you place a single sticker on your holiness chart.” For many years I’ve been setting and checking off goals. Not a bad thing, but I let it be THE thing. Thanks for your timely, authentic reminder about what holiness is and isn’t.