TODAY'S DEVOTIONAL

October 17, 2006

…but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct….

--1 Peter 1:15

The goal of a lot of Christians these days is to be healthy and happy. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But it makes me wonder why so few Christians endeavor to be holy.

Now, holiness is much easier said than done. But it should be the goal we’re striving for as followers of Jesus Christ. Christ has called us to be holy and to live under His authority and Lordship. We should have a burning desire to live by the Word of God and apply it to our lives.

And this requires more than just reading the Bible or listening to God’s Word preached. Have you ever known anyone who hears everything, but doesn’t really listen to much of anything? That is exactly how we are sometimes with the Scripture. We know it and can probably quote it, but we don’t always listen to and apply it to our lives.

The old hymn says, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus!” We’ve sung it a thousand times, but have we taken those words home and applied them?

God says He will bless those who obey and trust Him. It means that you and I must trust God and obey Him in every area of our life.

Is He Lord over the way you speak, the way you react, the way you lead your family, the way you do your business…even the way you drive??

Obeying Christ is not always easy, but it makes you more like Him. I encourage you to make your prayer today be, “Lord, make me holy as You are holy.”

HOLINESS REQUIRES NOT JUST HEARING THE WORD, BUT LIVING IT.