Pursue Holiness- Try it...you'll like it!
My daughter, Maddy, started drinking coffee when she was 7 years old. She was and is not a morning person. She didn’t learn to make a cup of coffee until years later. So, Jody and I , as her parents encouraged this habit. Handing her a cup of coffee as a child was not poor parenting on our part, but rather mercy for our family, her elementary school teachers and friends 😊. She needed this happy wake-up juice! And our whole family benefited from her drinking an 8-ounce cup of black coffee each morning!
Maddy is a married adult with 3 children. She has a sign in her kitchen- “no Coffee, no Workee!” So coffee is still a part of her identity and I dare say her hubby, out of self preservation, supports her habit 😂!
A few weeks ago, I tried my first cup of coffee.
It was OK.
It was equal parts coffee and milk. I may have another cup in the future and then again, maybe not. I am not addicted, for sure. Since I am not a young gal, I have obviously had many opportunities to try a cup of Joe, but it took 56 years and 2 months to get coffee past my nose and in my mouth.
The hardest part of trying something new- is simply doing it, huh?
Those of you who are obsessed with coffee and smacking your foreheads in disgust- I am sorry. Don’t be a hater, I am just not a fan of coffee, really don’t care for any hot beverages. But I do get kudos for trying, right?
I understand when people are reluctant to try new things. I am often reluctant too. But today there is something I’d like to suggest you try -and it is the pursuit of holiness in your heart and your marriage.
The very word “holiness” is off putting to some. You may immediately imagine a long-braided pony tail or a blue jean skirt worn with tennis shoes. But that is not what I am talking about. I am talking about pursuing God in such a way that your life changes So dramatically that the rest of your family, neighborhood and community notice the change.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Psalms 51:10-12
How Do I Start?
The pursuit of holiness best happens on our knees in prayer asking the Holy Spirit to point out the parts of our heart that do not reflect the gospel. The Holy Spirit is ready, willing and able, just waiting on you to ask Him to search your heart. This may also require us to give our spouse “hunting license” for the sin in our life. And when they prayerfully point out areas that are not Godly- it will require you to have a teachable spirit and open heart that desires to be cleansed. Your marriage is the perfect place to pursue holiness. Your marriage gives the Holy Spirit a safe, supported area to work.
“Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands.”
Psalms 112:1 NIV
A Holy Marriage is a Happy Marriage!
I believe God designed marriage to make you HOLY not HAPPY. Happiness, joy, is an excellent by product, but should not be your goal. This is a new concept for many of you, I know. And it may be as scary as my first cup of very hot coffee. But I guarantee you, the pursuit of holiness will benefit you, your life, your walk with Christ more than you can imagine.
When you and your spouse are actively pursuing Christ and began to reflect more of His love, that reflection will cause the love in your marriage/home to shine! And if the shine gets bright enough- the people around you will also see and want what you have. This most organic form of evangelism, living a life that is impacted by God, is very desirable to a world that is full of skepticism, where words have become cheap. We as Christians have spoken volumes full of “Gospel speak,” why not now try- living a Gospel life? Let’s start first with pursuit of holiness in our marriage with our spouse!
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Psalm 139:23-24 NIV
I hope you feel challenged and are ready to pursue holiness and grow in the fear of the Lord with your spouse. It may be uncomfortable at first to pray with your spouse or point out sin in each other’s lives, but it will become more natural with practice. And before long you will be as dependent on the pursuit of God and His holiness as you are on the quest for the perfect cup of coffee! ☕️
The first best step is taken in His Word! Stay washed in it!
Keep reading, friends!
