Holiness

Thursday's Discipleship Response

1 Peter 1:15

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.

• Through Christ, God is working in us to will and act to fulfill His good purpose.

Pondering Point

God calls us to be holy in all that we do. in preparation to review our use of time in ways that honor God (a form of holiness), let’s start with a prayer. After that we will borrow from step 4 of the Alcoholics Anonymous program, turning our attention to a “fearless inventory” of our situation.

Alcoholics Anonymous Prayer

Father God, bless my time, the use of my time to be holy ("set apart") in Your sight. I want to set apart time to be with You, to serve You, to love people on Your behalf, to rest in You, to reach out for You, to grow in Your word, to share Your word. With so many options, please let Your Holy Spirit grant me wisdom to discern when to stop and start such opportunities. I want my time to be Your time and I want You to be honored all my days. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Okay. With that prayer now shared, let’s review:

Review

Am I working with God or against Him while He looks to fulfill His good purposes through me? Do I consider “my” time to be at God’s disposal? Am I willing to evaluate my use of time and adjust as God pushes me to do so?

Repent if Necessary

Repent if necessary of acting as if your time is your own and not God’s. Repent of any unholy use of time. Be specific about when and how. If you are unsure if it is ungodly use of time, consult other discerning Christians.

Return (as necessary)

Sit with God and confess to Him (confess means to ‘agree with’) that your time is first and foremost His. Agree that your management of your life and time is to reflect His wishes, His holy and perfect will. To live this way would cause you to live like Jesus, otherwise known as discipleship in action.

Micro-Group Moment:

Considering the role of carving out time
to connect with God and others

LOVING GOD (with heart, soul, mind, and strength) through time commitment: If you have not carved out time for God specifically in the past, here is a suggestion: Find small chunks of time for God, even just 5-10 minutes at various times throughout your day – and a few longer slots of 30-60 minutes at least one or two times per week. Use your smart phone alarms to remind you. Build in reminders to participate in Hope’s IMMERSION devotions daily. Remember – they are intentionally short. It is a good way to include time for God’s Word in your daily life.

LOVING OTHERS (as yourself) through time commitment: If you have not carved out time to connect with others through micro-group relationships and small group life, sit down with your weekly schedule and consider when you could insert this valuable component into your life. Consider centering your weekly Micro-group time around a discussion of Hope’s IMMERSION devotions – OR – do those devotions together. Learn more about micro-groups and small group life from Hope’s ABCs of discipleship booklet.

You may have to rearrange or even eliminate other aspects of your schedule to adjust for such spiritual opportunities to grow yourself and others. Ask God to help you live under the Holy Spirit’s guidance to use your time in godly ways.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Prayer for the Day

Father God, "my times are in Your hands" says Psalm 31:15. As I live under Your grace and Holy Spirit, help me see time as a resource to utilize in light of Your will, Your Word, and Your ways. I want to express love to You and others through my use of time. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.