So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
The Arkansas Razorbacks football team is not having a good year. In fact, they have suffered a school-record eight straight losses. This is the result of a number of things…including the residual fallout from an almost-two-year-old scandal that stood the athletic department on its ear for a while. If you follow college football in general, you know that many fans are somewhat “rabid”… they love their team and want to win at all costs. So it will come as no surprise that some would choose to go back to the “winning” program of a few years ago, headed by a dishonest and deceptive coach, rather than persevere to build something that has integrity and excellence over the long haul.
Let’s be honest… aren’t there times when we all want to throw up our hands and ask, “What’s the point? Why am I even trying?” Every one of us has times in our life when the old ways of doing just what we feel like doing sounds pretty good in comparison to the struggles and challenges of developing a life shaped by God’s life. Nobody ever said being holy would be easy!
Hear the word of God from 1 Peter 2:18-26:
You who are servants, be good servants to your masters—not just to good masters, but also to bad ones. What counts is that you put up with it for God’s sake when you’re treated badly for no good reason. There’s no particular virtue in accepting punishment that you well deserve. But if you’re treated badly for good behavior and continue in spite of it to be a good servant, that is what counts with God.This should give us great hope. Because of Jesus, who has done so much for us, we can remain faithful…and filled with hope. Surely we can persevere. We.Can.Do.This! We can keep working through all challenges and disappointments… and help build the Kingdom of Heaven. We can strive to become more holy every single day… and in doing so, we can anticipate a life “energized and blazed with holiness” and blessings.
This is the kind of life you’ve been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.
He never did one thing wrong,
Not once said anything amiss.
They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you’re named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls.
Remember… in the end, God wins! If we want to win with Him, we have to remain hopeful and holy. The choice is ours… what will you do?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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