A Call to Holiness / GUEST POST

A GUEST POST BY STEPHANIE OF UNCOVERING HOPE

We are to be holy. (1 Peter 1:16)

I don't know about you, but I am not perfect... let alone holy.

There are a lot of people who ridicule Christians for claiming they are perfect. Yet, in reality, the majority of Christians I know, including myself, don't claim themselves as, nor are they anywhere near, being holy.

There are people I used to be friends with or people who knew me a few years ago and I can honestly say that I am not that same person. People might look at my past and see someone insecure, rebellious, depressed, cold-hearted, and some other words I am too embarrassed to even mention. Then they ask, "You? Holy? Yea right."

I'm not saying I'm perfect. Nor am I saying that I don't strive to be. Because perfect and holy is what God has called me to be, but I am SO far from that. I strive for it every day though. And not for my self, but for God. The God who has changed me completely from the person I used to be. God says that the old has gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). I truly believe this 100%. I couldn't be more thankful for that.

I hate when I see Christians claiming they are better than a non-Christian; like they have some sort of right to put themselves on a pedestal above another human being. Although, I have been accused of this more than once, and my heart breaks when someone sees that in me, I hate that my old self can portray such selfishness.

We are all made in the likeness of Christ, and we are all fallen and that means we are all sinful. The only difference, if we have accepted Jesus into our lives and are in a relationship with Him, is that we are saved from the consequences of sin. Ultimately—hell. This is called salvation. Salvation from hell and we are granted eternity with the God who loves us more than anyone could ever love us.

God has loved me more than anyone ever has and ever will. He knows how horrible of a person I used to be and how horrible of a person I can still be at times.

I struggle with this holiness thing.

I still grieve and mourn over the stupid mistakes I make and how I can be so harsh with people when I am called to be a reflection of the loving Christ that I serve. I hate that... I hate how my old self (also known as the "flesh") can take root in me and wreck havoc in my life. I hate how I can give God a bad reputation...and my heart breaks.

This holiness thing has been getting to me lately. I've been realizing that I am called to be holy, because my God is holy. I am to be a reflection of Him and I am to let go of my past. Because that is gone. New has come. Today is the day to decide to live a holy life. To sacrificially give up the desires that do not line up with what God has in store for me.

Strive to be holy, because HE is holy.

Stephanie says: "I’m 23 and married to biggest blessing in my life—Peter. We both work full time and stay busy with his band, A New Awakening. My passion is to spread God’s truth and love to those around me. In my (barely there) free time, I love to experiment with new recipes and to soak up good books. I’m an outgoing introvert (yes, there is such a thing!) and I am fascinated by psychology. I’m still trying to understand what God has in store for my future, but I’m holding on to the fact that He is faithful and there’s a wonderful plan for my life. You can read more about this little life journey of mine at Uncovering Hope."

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