Life is about the little choices made every day. And even though life as a Christian begins with a U-turn, turning away from darkness into light, Holiness is making that same choice a thousand times every day for the rest of your life.
Every choice you make will take you closer or further from God, and this is where the Christian life is made making every concious choice to move closer to Him, the author of our faith, the Alpha and the Omega.
I am amazed at what lengths people will go to keep their old ways, their old lifestyle and their old nature. Like God was a supplement to their life, like taking vitamins or a yoga class. I think we need to take extra care to plan our lives to facilitate Holiness, we need to plan so that we make it as easy as possible for us to choose God and purity. We used to plan sin while we where sinners….
Aaaw come on, don’t tell me you never planned a party just so you could invite that one girl, sat at a special table in the lunchroom so he or she would notice you. Or planned a night out in town where you before you went out knew that you would get drunk as a skunk. Maybe not as overt as that if you grew up in a Christian home (I didn’t) But you know what I mean.
Purity and holiness takes careful planning, planning to read the bible everyday, planning to spend time with God, choosing to read good books and choosing to watch good shows. As the song goes “Every little step I take, I take with You”
Don’t think you can make the choice for God once and be done with it. Just going on with life like nothing happened. God is a jealous God He urges you to choose Him over and over and over and over again, every moment of every day.
This is so true!
I just re-read Phil Wall’s “I’ll fight… Holiness at war” and it struck me that a life of holiness (simplicity, chastity, etc) is really to submit to God in every little choice I make.
It is not a one-time battle to win to sanctify my life, it is an ongoing war, a campaign of raging battles stringed together.
I truly believe that you are right when you say it takes careful planning to live a holy life. And for me, that life seems soooo attractive. And ever elusive. But by dividing it into chunks and submitting one chunk after another and really let the Lord in on every decision I make, my hope and prayer is that eventually my heart will change. That it will actually become easier to live in holiness.
Keep it up, brother! And may God bless you, richly, in your own battles.
(Any plans on visiting us, back home, anytime soon?)