Holy

I like the word “Holy”. I like how it sounds. It’s great to speak it in prayer.     I love to sing that word. I love songs that repeat “holy, holy, holy”.  I was just thinking about what it means.

Holy is not a noun, not a concrete thing like snow or even wind. It can be used as an adjective like beautiful or friendly. But unlike those adjectives, it’s more difficult to quantify.

My understanding of the word “Holy” is for something to be set apart, to be special for God, such as the Holy Bible. Yet God also is set apart. He is not like anyone or anything else. He is Holy; He has characteristics that set Him apart from what we can understand. He does not do evil, He is beyond time and space, He has unlimited knowledge and power. He is totally other than what we know in our lives.

In God’s directions for setting up the temple in the Old Testament, He established specific instructions for the creation and use of items for worship. He said that all of those things were to be holy, set apart and not used for other purposes. Even the incense and oils were for the use in worship alone. He did not want it to be used as perfume for people. We couldn’t smell like Him. The candlesticks, bowls, and other items were to be set apart to be used for this holy purpose, to worship Him. We couldn’t use them in our houses, in our kitchens. God’s things are special.

When people want to be treated in that same special way, we think they are getting a big head. Who do they think they are? We get annoyed because they think they are above others. New flash: All humans are created equal. None of us is worth more than another and we ought not to worship other humans. Respect, yes, but not worship. But God is not a human.

God is not created and He is not equal. Actually, He is the only one who we can say is truly set apart and worthy to be special, worthy to be worshiped because there is no one or nothing like Him. He is the only one who can demand that we bow before Him and worship Him. He is our Creator; He is not carrying an attitude, as we would think if a human acted that way. That’s why it’s hard to grasp sometimes. We look at the world through our own eyes. But God is truly worthy of our worship and praise. So we can call Him holy and can sing “holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty”. Yeah!

The Bible also states that we are to be holy, to be set apart for Him. I take that to mean that we set ourselves apart from the ordinary. We are special in that we are an instrument of worship for God.  Our lives should be used to do what He wants of us. It doesn’t mean that we are expected to be perfect or carry a super spiritual attitude that makes us unapproachable. So how does this work out in practical application?

First of all, we are an instrument of worship.  A portion of our time should be spent, set aside, dedicated to God in prayer, singing, studying God’s word so we know Him more. This isn’t always easy as our lives are so busy, or really, we haven’t made it a priority. I am speaking from experience here.

Secondly, we are His representative on this planet. Other people get to know Him by knowing us. We have to live our life in such a way that others will see Jesus in our day to day actions. Again, we aren’t perfect, but we want our words, our actions, our choices to answer the question of “What would Jesus do?”.

Lastly, I think we have a tendency to take the things of God too casually.  I know I do. We are too familiar, not as filled with awe and respect in the presence of God as I think we could be. Some of us have gone so far from the hushed halls of cathedrals that we joke about Jesus our homie. Really? There has to be a better balance. God is approachable though Jesus, but He is not our buddy.

For me,understanding holiness and living it is a life-long process. I don’t often think of myself as being set apart for God. But really, I am His property. I gave Him my life. We made a deal and   I got the better end of the bargain. My prayer is that I would continue to grow in the understanding of holiness and how I am to respond to God. I want to give more of my heart, mind, and soul in worshiping Him. I also want to be a worthy representative of Him to those who have contact with me. Far from perfect, but on the path, I want to live my life ready for Him to choose me and use me as one of His holy possessions. I hope you do too.