Promise for Today - Choosing Holy

But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
Hebrews 12:10b-14 NLT

I met a friend for supper recently. Great girl - a LOT of fun. A Christian. She is working her way through some tough times, and doing a good job, too. She vented just a little about what she'd LIKE to do in a certain situation (and justifiably so in the flesh) but almost before she finished her own sentence, she half-grinned and said, "I know it's not the Christian thing to do." And as I laughed, she remarked, "But it sure would feel good." 

For the last 60 years, we've grown up in an era of "If it feels good, do it!" And we have heartily embraced it. No boundaries - nothing to fence us in. So much so that if something doesn't feel good, we just don't want to do it. We don't think we have to do it, and generally, there's a good chance that we're not going to do it. 

When my alarm went off this morning, I did not want to get up to go do what I had to do. I did not feel like it. I wanted to stay in bed... but I got up and made myself go take care of business. My flesh had already kicked in with hours I've worked vs. PTO hours, but I also knew I had a full workload waiting for me and...well, you know how it goes, so I disciplined myself to get ready and report for duty. Did I want to? No. I love my job, and the people I work with, but I wanted to crawl back into bed. THAT's what would have felt good... but it would NOT have been the right thing to do.

Every day, we're faced with decisions that have the same kind of outcome - doing what feels good or doing what is right and it all boils down to discipline. Back to the holy thing... we have to work at it. It would be easier on my flesh to do whatever I want to do rather than expend myself for something or someone else, but we're to "work at living a holy life."

We can't lead someone down a path that we've never walked. What good is knowledge or even wisdom if we haven't the discipline to walk it out? Does it feel good? Not always. But there is a Christ part of us on the inside that rejoices in doing something simply because it is right! That's what Jesus did. And we're to be like Him. 

No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.

Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord... [emphasis mine]

So, even when we don't feel like it. Even when we don't want to...

Prayer:

Father,
           We want to see You, Lord. We want to be with You. We want to do the right thing. Help us to not forget that without You, nothing is good OR right. Give us clean hands and pure hearts, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen