Gray'n'Blue // Holy Living

   

 
Greetings! I hope that your weekend is off to a good start. What do you have planned? I'm hoping to rest up and shake off a cold, and of course, share this blog post! Because today's devotional is kind of long, I'll just be giving you the outfit details instead of blabbing about it. ;) I hope today's post is a bright spot in your weekend.

Outfit Details:
T-shirt ~ Hand-me-down; Cardigan ~ Thrifted; Skirt ~ Thrifted; Boots ~ Village Shoes (Ashland OR)

   We as modern "Christians" have a tendency to look a lot like the world. So many of our cues are taken from the world. We laugh at the same foul movies, idolize the same celebrities, and hold the same American Dream as our highest ideal. We imitate the society's petty and self-promoting behavior. In short, we are not striving to live a holy life.
  The Bible has quite a bit to say about holiness. Not only is God described as "holy", but His children are called to live a holy life. But what is holiness? In the Old Testament, the Hebrew transliteration of  the world we know as"holy" is qodesh). It means "apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness". If you look in the New Testament, you will find the translation of the Greek word hagios, which is "most holy thing, a saint". With the above definitions of holiness in mind, prayerfully consider these following scriptures:

"Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness."
-Psalm 29:2, KJV

"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:" 
- Ephesians 1:4, KJV

"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,"
- II Timothy 1:9, KJV

"But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
- I Peter 1:15-16, KJV

   The main idea of holiness is to be set apart from the rest of the world. Christ has saved those who believe on Him from a life of sin, giving us the ability to live free from the chains that bind the worldly. Holiness means that though we are still living in the world, we are not of it (John 17:16). Our dress, behavior, and idea of entertainment should look different from that of modern society.
   I don't suggest that we become nuns and monks or live in isolation on mountaintops; Our light won't be seen if we hide it. I also don't propose that we give up all of our hobbies - God created things like art and music for us to enjoy! However, I do believe that when the world pursues activities full of idolatry, lust, blasphemy, and greed that we think twice before following suit just because "everyone else is doing it". As we pursue holiness with the Lord's help and strength, the world will see that we live differently, and our lights may shine in a dark place.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, 

and perfect, will of God.

Romans 12:2, KJV