“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 12:14 NLT
I like how Jesus says, “Work at…” because it means that He knows it’s something we grow into daily. It doesn’t just happen to us. We start with wobbly feet, fall, rise, get steady, and then master it.
To live a holy life is to set yourself apart for the sole purpose of glorifying God with your lifestyle. It’s a disciplined, intentional way of life that requires constant communication with the Holy Spirit for almost every step.
In the Old Testament, the law had the same goal, but without the Holy Spirit, everyone just kept doing it in vain. Holy living became a series of checklists they had to tick off every day. Exhausting!
Now we are empowered by God’s spirit to make this possible. This doesn’t mean we don’t still fall into sin or do evil, but the Holy Spirit is available to help us turn back to God and stand on the righteousness we have in Christ.
So how do we live in peace with those we work with and glorify God?
The world of work can be a really cruel place. With office politics, fierce competition, market manipulation, and cruel leadership, it’s difficult to stay holy. Sometimes you want to get your hands dirty so you can have a firm grip on the ladder you’re climbing.
But that’s what we think and choose to see. Amid this, some people have decided that no matter what happens, staying holy for God is their priority.
And so, all their actions at work might cause them to be ridiculed, but somehow, it also opens doors to the supernatural for them. They get exceptional results compared to those who choose evil.
We may not see many of them around us every day. But know that if most people do something a particular way, then there’s a minority that does things differently, whether you’ve seen them or not.
Jesus knows we won’t become part of the minority, like magic. So He says, “Work at it.” If we strive to belong to the majority so we can fit in, we’ll always fall and won’t grow.
But when we decide to receive God’s help to set ourselves apart, we may fall along the way, but we have a goal. And one day, we’ll get there.
“I choose to live in peace with others and live holy by…”
As humans, we struggle with so much in our daily lives that, without God’s help, life can get miserable.
Pray for guidance on how to make holy living possible for your peculiar situation and work to constantly obey the promptings you receive. We will all make it to the end victoriously.
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