Holy Now: How to Be Christ's Presence Where You LiveSample

Some might think of being holy as a matter of respectful religiousness, moral purity or ethical excellence, but the more original meaning describes someone set apart for a special calling and purpose.

We take it for granted that when Jesus calls a woman or man to follow Him that eventually their life will be transformed morally and ethically.

We see these kinds of expectations in what the transformed Paul writes to the new Christians trying to live respectful lives in religious Ephesus.

The transformation, however, is grounded in the holy presence of Jesus in our life, our spirit responding to His call, our mind choosing to believe and hope, our baptized body learning to put this holy faith into practice.

When Christians wake up in the morning and walk out their door to face the world, to work alongside colleagues, to chat with their neighbors, to serve in their city, we must daily respect our calling and live a holy life worthy of it.

Each day requires us to be mindful of the effect this calling has on all those God brings across our path.

Sometimes we don’t enjoy the people we’ve been called to serve, they get on our nerves, we find them disrespectful and difficult to work with.

Our suffering because of the people around us tests our calling; but when we make the effort to persevere, it’s how we participate in the healing bond of peace Jesus is trying to embody in the world through us.

This becomes motivation for why we stay humble, gentle, patient, and bearing with those around us in love when our spirit screams to escape the frustrating situation, when our complaints and criticisms are on the tip of our tongue, especially when it is in the church or with other Christians in service together in our community.

From time to time we experience moments where it seems like God is extending a renewed call on our life to trust Him, to surrender our life to Christ, to begin (again) living a worthy life, one that people can respect because of their experience with the healing presence of Christ through us.

Be holy today, respect the call to a powerful life of healing presence through the one God and Father of all who is in all, through all, for all.