Week 2: Holiness
Holy: To be set apart | Hebrew meaning
I remember when I first started to learn what the word 'Holy' meant (when I was a baby in my faith) I thought that it meant, "you must be a virgin and dress in all white"... funny, but seriously!!
But once I started to read more, grow in closer relationship with God, I began to understand that to be holy was to really be set apart from the world. Meaning that you are set apart, unique, living as reflection of Gods goodness, and walking in the likeness of his light.
AND WALKING IN TRUTH OF WHO WE ARE IN HIM.
Throughout the Bible we see that God is glorified for his holiness and there is none as holy as God.
"Who is like you, O,Lord among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" Exodus 15:11
I tried to go further, but God tugged on my heart in this verse, He said, "Who is like you?"
He said to replace "O'lord" with your name.
"Who is like you Cali, among the gods? (among the trillions of others) Who is like you, majestic in all holiness (in your unique and admirable beauty & power), awesome in glorious deeds (who can do the things that you do, just as you do them), doing wonders (who one can produce the 'wonders' that you can produce, through the gift that only YOU have)"
*Read this with your name multiple times*
When I read this a few times, It started to click, "yeah, who is like me?!"
I began to reflect on the difference between seeing ourselves through the lens of the world vs. through the lens of God.
World: Blinded, lack of uniqueness, living in darkness, lack of identity, vision is blurred by sin & pain, looking for man's satisfaction/ validation, unfulfilled, not walking in purpose, lack of truth, lack of self-worth, etc.
God's lens: Unveiled, living in truth, living in the light, living in purpose, set free from pain and sin, gracefully broken, has GODfidence, validated by the applause of the heavens, fulfilled and whole, values self- worth, seen as useful, values self-love etc.
See, when we view ourselves through the lens of God instead of the world, we see what God sees in us. We see the truth of who we are, we live purposeful, we are confident in who we are, we aren't swayed by the ways of culture, but are shifted by Gods applause. We recognize our worth and demand to be valued. We see, "Yeah, who is like me?".
I want you to ask yourself this every morning this week:
"Who is like me?" (reflect on your beauty, uniqueness and power)
'Who can do the things that I do, and the WAY that I do it?" (reflect on your skills, your accomplishments (small & big), begin to admire the small things about you)
"Who can work the gift that only I have like me?" (reflect on your gift, praise God for blessing you with the gift and even ask him to make you stronger & more effective in that gift)
"Who can love ME like ME?" (LOVEEEE ON YOU! think about new ways to show the love God has shown you, to yourself more, small and big!)
And whatever question you have a hard time asking & answering, pray about it and sit with God on it. Ask him to reveal your heart and clear your lens.