"Holiness" - an Invitation

I grew up with an aversion to "holiness." Not the true concept but the term and its implications I hated. Even after graduating college and serving in China, I realized I kind of dreaded the word "holiness" because it seemed constricting, stripping, unpleasant, and well...I equated it with monks who sold everything, gave up all their passions, habits, and luxuries to go live in a sun-baked clay house where you can't talk but only chant. I saw it as this list that was always preached to me of things I needed to do better at or more things I needed to give up. It was draining, exhausting, condemning, and I never seemed to be getting anywhere because every preacher just kept telling me to do it more.

Looking back now, I can see it was because I had no reason to do it. I know God says "be holy as I am holy." But why? That's a command of how to do, not why. To what end were we moving towards, what was the ultimate goal of our holiness. I've picked up the saying that "Vision gives pain a purpose." When you've got the vision in front of you, the dream made tangible just beyond your fingertips, then you'll run harder, jump hurdles, stay up late at night, forgo coffees or movies to save money, forget meals, wake up early, blow past physical understandings to chase down that thing, to make it real and in your hands. 

I can't say I have a great vision now, but I do understand it a bit more. "Holiness" means "to be set apart." The issue is that in most of our culture were insecure with who we are so we just want to blend in and not be the good that sticks out. Because our insecurity we either don't want to be the odd one, or we go so far that we've made ourselves to be the odd one so we have a distinguished place and position in the group. Either way, once God tells you who you are you feel hand crafted for a specific purpose and you're ok to be different like different flavored and types of drinks. One person is pink lemonade when another is Dr. Pepper and another is raspberry flavored water and another is Jai Alai IPA.  Or consider each person a different member of an American football team: one a guard, another the quarterback, another a wide receiver, and another a linebacker. Each one is made differently and has a different flavor that they bring to the table.

Ok, so where does Holiness fit in?

Holiness is the invitation to not be like every other pink lemonade, IPA, linebacker or quarterback. Holiness is the invitation to be set apart, to stand out and taste incredible to perform at a higher level. No one likes getting in shape, but if they can see what they'll look like in the future, then it's time for the weight room. Holiness is the process of refining who you are so the greatest you comes out, is on display, and lives most radiantly. 

Lets take my brother for example. My brother wanted to get in shape, lose some weight, and build some muscle. It started with running some, then adding lifting in, then cutting out soda and some sweets. Then he created a fitness plan, started taking protein, looked up different workout programs, cut out fast food, and began drinking at least 80oz of water. It continued on to the point where Isaac now eats 5 meals a day, has most of them laid out so he knows exactly how many calories to eat at which part of the day, what workouts to do for how many weeks before switching, how to alternate, when to lift, run, sprint, do stations and to rest. He's 

Holiness means "to be set apart" is similar to an invitation to change the world. No one who did what everyone else did ever changed the world, they had to be set apart and do things differently. He's sculpted himself down from 27% body fat to 9%. He has more energy, more life, more stamina, and an overall better quality of health. This is the result of Holiness, of being set apart. He rarely its fast food and often takes his own meals so he can continue to eat healthy. When at a social event he will be careful as to what to drink, eat, how late to be out, how much sleep he needs, etc. He doesn't do what everyone else is doing because then he'd look and feel like they do. He sets himself apart so that he can live fully and achieve the vision before him.

My vision is to change the world. No one who ever changed the world did what everyone else was doing. They were "set apart" to be different and make a difference.  For me this means I can't read my bible like everyone else does, or watch tv like everyone else does, or eat and treat my body like everyone else does, I can't have poor or unhealthy relationships like everyone else does. Because I'm choosing to change the world and I'm choosing holiness, to be set apart. I still watch tv, read my bible, have relationships, eat and work out, but its all with the filter and vision of how will I change the world, how will I make an impact here.

Now, ill gladly choose holiness. Ill gladly choose being set apart- not fitting in in every circumstance because I see the vision of the man I want to become and the world I want to see. So I'll give up social norms in the culture, business, or church to pursue God in a way that He can make history through me. I would invite you to do the same. Let Him tell you who you are, then enjoy the process of being crafted into the top version of that person possible.