I wrestle with perfectionism. My tendency of performing for love, lingers, and old habits are hard to break. Even in my relationship with God.
I read in my Bible of being holy–of being ‘set apart’. But I struggle to know what that means, and how it is supposed to look. Because in my everyday chaotic grind, I don’t feel holy or set-apart, at all.
I’m a doer, and a list-checker, and I want to get it right.
Can’t I just get a list from God of what I have to do?
A color-coded spreadsheet I can check off throughout my day?
A link to a downloadable printable, at the back of my Bible?
My performance-based view insists I do for God, so that my holy living proves my love for Him.
I strive to love, have joy, know peace, be patient, speak in kindness, exude goodness, be faithful, act in gentleness, and be a master of self-control. This, only the beginning of a seemingly exhausting list I need to do to get it right–to be holy and set apart for Him.
Checking off the holy behavior I do FOR God, always obscures my experience of just being WITH Him. [Tweet that]
For years I confuse being holy, with living holy. And whoever explained the difference to me anyway?
I spend this year memorizing Romans. Reciting. Meditating. Listening to teaching. Digging deeper into God’s Word. I lean in, to understand what Paul is trying to say. And it’s only then, I learn and discover the difference–the secret of how to live a holy life.
There is therefore now, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life, has set you free, in Christ Jesus, from the law of sin and death. For GOD has done what the law, weakened by the flesh could not do. By sending His Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8: 1-4 (ESV)
It sinks in. Slowly.
I am His, and there is now, NO condemnation.
God did it all, and there is nothing I need to do.
And because I’m His, I do not walk in the flesh anymore, but in the Spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh. But those who live according to the Spirit, set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:5-6 (ESV)
Flesh. The Greek word is ‘sarkos’. It means carnal, of human origin or human empowerment.
This is what the law was all about, human trying. The entire Old Testament system was full of human beings trying to follow all the rules, offer sacrifices, and become acceptable to God through fulfilling the requirements of the law–through their own human power. But because of their propensity to sin, keeping the law was impossible. And in futility, the law (the flesh) lead to death–not physical death, but spiritual death, because of sin.
But God made a way, through Christ, for us to become spiritually alive again through His Spirit. [Tweet that]
When we profess our faith, and believe in Him, we are saved.
Saved from the endless trying in our own flesh.
Saved from the futility of the law.
And we then live by the Spirit.
Spirit. The Greek word is ‘pneuma’. It literally means wind, or breath. And that’s what God has done. Through Christ, God breathes spiritual life into us, who are spiritually dead. And Paul calls us to set our minds on the Spirit, on what God has done, and stop focusing our effort toward being made right by anything we do in our flesh.
And the promise is, that as we stop trying to make ourselves right before God in our own effort, and instead set our minds on what God has done for us, we rest in knowing He has given us spiritual life, and peace.
God has made us holy. It was all Him. He’s the One who has positioned us with Christ, and adopted us. We are His children, ‘set apart’, and holy in position.
There is nothing we can do to earn God’s love, or this holy position He’s given us. [Tweet that]
No tasks. And no checklists required.
But how do we move from our holy position, to practical holy living?
What is the secret to living out our already-holy lives?
Give thanks in ALL circumstances. For this is God’s will for you, [who are] in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)
Gratitude. It all begins with gratitude. Because this is His will for us.
Our motivation for holy living in practice, should not be to earn anything, or perform to gain God’s approval.
There is no earning God’s love, only a need to rest in it. [Tweet that]
No. Our motivation to holy living should be our profound, rich, exquisite, and overwhelming gratitude, which drives our practical holy living.
We love, because even when we were dead in our sin, He loved us.
We have joy, because of His gifts.
We enjoy peace, because He has settled the account, and we are not guilty anymore.
We are patient, because He shows patience and grace toward us, again and again.
We are kind, good, and gentle because of His kindness, goodness, and gentleness toward us.
We are faithful, because in His mercy, He is faithful.
And we practice self-control, not because we will lose His love, or our position in Him if we don’t, but because our daily life will have more joy and more fulfillment, when we walk in the way He directs, and give thanks for all He gives.
Understanding how we are positionally holy, frees us to live practically holy, by offering our practical thankfulness to God. [Tweet that]
So will you join me?
No more doing or striving or fretting we’re enough? Because He’s already said we are.
So let’s turn our to-do lists into gratitude lists, and let thankfulness be our motivation to live out our holiness in the practical ways.
Because by position, we already are.
How has gratitude changed you?
Have you struggled with trying to check off a list, in order to be holy?
Continuing on in the counting of 1,000 gifts and beyond with Ann, and her beautiful community.
And why not take the #Joy Dare and join us in counting gifts wherever you are??
School together every day
A job I love
The way giving blood saves a life
A new baby welcomed by our friends
Warm sun on our faces
Lotion and cremes
Shopping all day
Girls’ laughter through the window
Hummingbird perched on the branch
Podcasts and learning
John 1 and flying
Hearing friend’s voices I desperately love
Romans 12 again & again
1 Cor 13 memory work with the kids, and the fact that love really never fails
I am linked up beside you over at A Holy Experience and popped over to say hello–and I’m so glad I did! Yes. I have long been a love-earner, a desperate struggler to keep people (and God) from leaving me because I am not enough. And, oh, your story echos mine deeply! The first thousand gifts I counted, they are the ones that convinced me at long last of God’s deep and everlasting love for me. And it has changed everything. But what you have said here? That we are already holy and set apart? I needed to hear it said that way, because there’s still this deep yearning to “be enough” by “doing enough.” And after a series of hard years, I find myself here at the beginning of 2014, and God’s named the year Found. Because I am already found in Him. It’s already finished. There’s no more need for “doing,” only for “being” in Him. Grateful for your words, Friend. Much grace to you in your journey with our gracious God!
Amen, Jacque. “Let’s turn our to do lists into gratitude lists.” Yes. Just that.
Yes. Just that 🙂
I can relate with this post. Sometimes we do the right things for the wrong reasons. 🙂 One quote that helped me this week: Conscious repentance leads to unconscious holiness. 🙂 Have a wonderful day!
Oh Courtney, thank you for coming by and for you’re encouraging words. Giving thanks for you today, and much grace in your journey too, friend.
I think you’re right Sarah, and thank you for sharing that quote. It is the PROCESS of a repentant heart, of the humility of surrender, that indeed makes us more like Him. Blessings to you!
LOVE this Jacque! I can soooo relate! Thanks for sharing this, it was very timely 🙂
Hi Jacque! I just found your blog and I can relate on so many levels to what I have read. We are a lot alike in a lot of ways…and I love that you are so open about your past and the Mercy that has set you free. I have my own story and I’ve been feeling God’s call to share it. I started my own blog (4hisgloryblog.com) and have already found a lot of freedom through writing. I am praying about being able to attend She Speaks this year and I see you are a graduate. I wish I could just pick up the phone and talk to you as crazy as that sounds. I look forward to following your blog and faith journey. I also have fallen in love with Ann Voskamp and her writing. Keep writing and sharing and following your Savior’s lead. Blessings!
Thank you Lanette, I’m so glad 🙂
Meredith…thank you for you kind, generous, and encouraging words. Pressing on with you, counting gifts!