Tag Archives: Holiness

Watch Your Body

Posted on by
2

Sometimes I get overwhelmed when I think of my job as a keeper at home. This job is big enough for two or three women in one household. Of course I’m not advocating polygamy (though a hired housekeeper would be nice), but when I think about why this job is necessary, I recollect myself, call on God and know that He gives me nothing more than I can handle. I remember that being a keeper at home, or a homemaker, is a wonderful role and is required of all women, not just married ones who don’t work outside the home. Titus 2:5 says this job is for women to serve as the home’s gatekeeper to let in the good and keep out the bad so the family can meet its spiritual goals. If women do just this job, we would see a world of difference:

• Guard your ears. Women must guard what the family hears: “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly” (2 Tim. 2:16). This hearing includes any talk, whether one-on-one, from the television, radio, Internet and even from the pulpit. When family members hear not just godless talk, but talk that is vain (words that have no value to the hearer), they will desire to hear more ungodly and vain talk, which will impact what they say and what they want to see.
• Watch your mouths. Women must guard what the family says: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29). What you speak is often learned from what is heard and gets into your heart. Once the talk is in the heart, it eventually comes out. Mark 7:21-23 says, “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
• Guard your eyes. Women must guard what the family sees. Matthew 6:22-23 tells us that when we look at healthy things, our entire bodies will be healthy. This makes me think about reading the Bible, Christian literature and other inspirational materials. These things positively impact my mind, empower my limbs and infuse my talk do duplicate good.

Without a doubt, what you hear, say and see impact the person you become and dictate your actions. Guarding these key areas will help shape your family and (one family at a time) the world to be who God has called us to be. I would love to hear from you some ways that you have guarded your family’s ears, mouths and eyes. I know your sharing that and even how you wish you had been more vigilant will be beneficial for all of us. I look forward to hearing from you.

Copyright 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith

Pursuing Holiness

Posted on by
Reply

My momma used to say something like this: “Watch who you hang with, where you go and what you do. Remember your reputation. You want to be able to look at yourself in the mirror when you wake up.” My momma’s words did help me to choose my friends wisely, for the most part (’cause y’all know I got some male scallywags that I want to remain in my closet). But as a maverick, I would go just about anywhere and try just about anything because I wanted to give the testimony and not hear from any witnesses. But the scars from this type of strong black woman existence are still with me, and I made up my mind that I have enough war wounds to share the course of another’s lifetime. My mother’s advice brought me a long way, but God’s Word is what now keeps me along my way.

I told you I wasn’t going to give you a list of do’s and don’ts, but I will list areas of holiness and some criteria that you should consider when accessing your involvement in these areas:

    • People you hang with (Friends)
    • Places you go (Facilities, like social gathering spots)
    • Pursuits you plan (Future, like a career and education goals
    and material items)
    • Passions you have (Fancies, like hobbies and community involvement)

As I searched the Scriptures (see below), what I find I could sum up as this: Because your friends have a great influence in your life, make sure you choose those who have your back, won’t gossip about you, try to influence you to do wrong, compete with you or think they are better than you, and will guide you away from places that have a reputation for being evil, help you pursue God’s will for your life and encourage you to find pleasure in God more than anything else. These are people seeking to walk in holiness and the type you should choose as friends. This is also the type of person you should seek to be as a friend. This is what I got from God’s Word. As you consider walking in holiness in relation to your friends, facilities, future and fancies, you probably won’t get anything much different than what I have summarized. But, please, let the scriptures govern your choices. Here are some to consider:

Friends: John 15:13; Proverbs 17:9; 1 Corinthians 15:33; Philippians 2:3;
2 Corinthians 6:14
Facilities: 1 Thessalonians 5:22
Future: 2 Corinthians 6:14; James 4:13-16
Fancies: 1 Timothy 6:8-10; 1 John 2:15-16

I am interested in hearing about your choice in friends, facilities, and future and fancies pursuits. Write me back so the conversation continues.

Copyright 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith

Understanding Holiness

Posted on by
2

You ever been accused of acting holier than thou? Well, I have, maybe not quite in those words, but old friends have wondered why I don’t do what I used to do, go where I used to go and say what I used to say. “That’s just not what I do anymore. God has really changed me,” I say, playing it safe when really the response should be “I’m trying to live holy.” But that sounds so rigid, so legalistic, so holy. Nonetheless, holiness is what God calls us to. His call to holiness is not for us to think we’re better than others so we shun them, and it’s not to set us up for others to shun us. God says, “Be ye holy for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16) to indicate to us why holiness is important.

Holiness is important because when you set yourself apart from what others are doing so God can use you, others will know that there is a power at work in your life other than you. When people acknowledge this power, we can’t just stop at saying, “God has really changed me.” We must give details about this change, to be a witness of the power of Jesus Christ in our lives. Holiness is to point others to Jesus Christ—not to you—so they have a relationship with God and can, too, walk in holiness. You are not the focus of holiness; God is the focus of holiness. “Be ye holy, for I am holy” is like God is saying, “In order for you to represent me to a world that needs the hope that only I can give, you must be like me.” 2 Corinthians 5:20 bears this out: “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” Others will be reconciled to God when we are holy, when we are the salt and light He tells us to be to an unsavory and dark world. We must be holy for our sakes, for the world’s sake, for Christ’s sake.

Copyright 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith