Are you seeking holiness? Part Two


To grow in holiness begins with the realization that it is the will of God that we are holy as He is Holy. Our response to this realization and grace needs to become serious about being a holy man of God.

The first step is to acknowledge that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ because of your baptism and his witness because of your confirmation. A disciple is one who places himself under the discipline of a master to learn from the master. Jesus is our Master/Teacher.

As such, Jesus calls you to come under his Lordship. What does this mean? Think of it this way. Your life is a circle. In the circle are all the things that you are involved in, all the things that are part of your daily life, all the things you consider important. What is at the center of your life? What is the thing that is controlling your life or determining you? Is your family? Your business? Your pleasures? Is it Jesus?

If Jesus is one among many in your life, if he is in the outer fringes, except for one hour on Sunday, then he is not the Lord of your life. But if you make Jesus the most important aspect of your life, even above family, then you will have all things in their proper order, including family. You will be a better husband and father, provider and protector. That is what Jesus means when he says that we can’t be fully his disciple if we are not ready to put everything second to him, including family, job, pleasure, etc.

How does this happen? Before you make important decisions in your life, you need to check with the Master to make sure that what you are about to do is of him. It means that you spend quality time with the Lord, talking to him about what you are doing or about to do to see if it is pleasing to him or not. It is deliberately choosing to follow his Word, the Scriptures, over and beyond what the culture or modern thinking says. Will this bring you closer to God or further separate you? You choose to put every thought, word and deed under the umbrella of being pleasing to the Lord. You belong to him and everything you are and have belongs to him.

Does this seem radical? It is! Does it seem impossible? It is not! This has been the path of saints, ordinary people like you and me, for centuries. They chose to take off the sunglasses of the culture of the day and see through the eyes of God the path the Lord invited them to walk. Will it be easy? No! Nothing worth achieving is easy. Nothing of great value, comes easy.

Jesus used the parable of the man that is in search of the pearl of great price. When he finds it, he sells all he has in order to obtain this priceless pearl. Holiness is that great pearl. Are you willing to sacrifice all that hinders you from being holy in order to experience the true fulfillment of your existence?

All this may seem overwhelming to you. But like everything else, you must take baby steps before you can walk, before you can jog, before you can sprint. Each step builds confidence. Yes, you will fall many times in the process, but getting back on the path is important to reaching the goal. Have the desire to be holy and then put that desire into action, no matter what it costs or how long it will take.

The secret is love. The more we are doing things in and out of love of God, the more we will be becoming holy. Here is a easy formula to remember and implement in your life. Do what you are suppose to do; when you are suppose to do it; the way you are suppose to do it; to the best of your ability for the love of God.

Remember holiness is not something you can measure everyday of your life. It is only when you are on the path of holiness and, after a period of time, look back, then you may be able to see where you came from and where you are. But the real excitement is that the path before you will bring you to greater holiness.