In third grade I got called to the principal’s office for saying an inappropriate word. In my defense, someone had written it on the chair in front of me, and I was reading it aloud to my friend. As I made the trek from my classroom to the office, I remember my heart beating through my chest and tears running down my face. “Failure!” That’s what I heard over and over again in my mind, and I hated it. I never wanted to experience that feeling again—and a perfectionist started growing in me.
When I met Jesus, my tendency toward perfectionism collided with my sinfulness, which then re-collided with the call on my life to be “holy” with my thoughts and actions. I don’t think I am alone in this struggle, and my prayer today is to break this whole “holiness” thing down and learn together how to worship God through it.
Leviticus chapter 20 speaks to this call to holiness: “Consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am the LORD your God” (v.7). In this passage, God warns His people to stay far away from cultural practices that are not of Him. God lays it out very simply: If what is going on around us is not of Him, then we need to stay away from it, to stand apart from what the world is doing—not simply because we have to, but because we want to, as an act of worship. We are called to live holy lives because we love God enough to trust that what He asks of us is for our good and His glory.
It seems simple, right? We worship God by standing apart. But how do we stand apart?
We find the answer in the next verse, which says, “Keep my statutes and do them” (Leviticus 20:8a). At the onset, we might get stuck on that fact that we can’t possibly keep all of His statutes on our own; we will always fall short and fail. Instead, we need to step into God’s infinite grace and mercy to see how He finishes the verse for us: “I am the LORD who sets you apart” (Leviticus 20:8b).
In these places of perfectionism and failure, I sense God whispering to me, “Sweet child, you worship me through holiness by coming to me over and over again and allowing Me to make you clean.” This is why Jesus came: to make us holy and bring us back into right relationship with God. He has chosen us to be His own and calls us holy now, today. Out of His great mercy, He called us out of the darkness of sin and into freedom in Him (1 Peter 2:9–10).
What God asks of us is to do more than just hear and receive His word; we are to put our faith into action (James 1:22). He asks that we also pursue holiness and “rid [ourselves] of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander” (1 Peter 2:1). In doing so, we “present [our] bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is [our] true act of worship” (Romans 12:1, emphasis mine).
This is our true act of worship: to submit ourselves daily to our loving God, and to consecrate every part of our lives to Him and His ways. We are to set our actions apart from the ways of this world, because He has chosen us and has already set us apart for Himself.
Even this we cannot do this apart from the Holy Spirit in us. Let us then worship God freely, hands raised high and hearts wide open, knowing that both the holiness we possess and the holiness we pursue, He has made possible in us.
Maria Furlough is a wife and a mother to one amazing 11-year-old daughter, three rambunctious boys, and one baby boy who lives in the arms of Jesus. Formerly a full-time youth pastor, Maria now teaches women’s Bible studies and works as the Missions Team leader at Lake Forest Church in Huntersville, North Carolina. Maria is the author of Breaking the Fear Cycle: How to Find Peace for You Anxious Heart and Confident Moms, Confident Daughters. You can find Maria on Instagram or Facebook @MariaFurlough or online at www.mariafurlough.com.
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45 thoughts on "Worship Through Holiness"
I am encouraged to and want to encourage others to grow in excellence and to live selflessly, at one and the same time to lose the self and find the self (if self is wrapped in Jesus). It is paradoxical, but it is not impossible.
I wanted to ask, if anyone is moved to do so, could you please pray salvation for my friend Angelina? I’ve come here before to request prayers on her behalf when she was struggling with severe depression which caused her to lose her faith, and I really believed that if she experienced healing, she would see God’s hand of kindness in her life and believe again. But even though she’s coping with her depression a lot better now and experiencing a lot of good things she never expected for herself, she still doesn’t believe in God.
Over the past year, I’ve seen her transition from an “I want to believe but I can’t” type of doubt to an “I don’t believe anymore and I’m better off for it” mindset and it really pains me to see this happening. With each day it feels more and more unlikely that she’ll come (return?) to faith but I know that nothing is impossible with God so I still have a thread of hope. And I’d really appreciate prayer for her. Thank you all so much.
You are such a great friend!
Hallelujah for the Cross.
Asking for prayers. This week I am heading back to school as a teacher. Each year brings anxiety- not because I don’t love it (I do!) but because I am a worrier. Please pray for me and my students. I want them to know that they are cherished, and I want to be the teacher that God wants me to be. Please pray that I can leave my perfectionist ways behind me- which will be long and grueling. No classroom is perfect. I am so thankful for this online community. Praying for all of you today.
I’m also a teacher and am feeling the exact same way! We have a new principal this year also, which adds to my anxiety. But I’m working to have faith and trust God is with me and goes before me, like it says in Psalm 139:8–“You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.” I’m praying for us both this morning, along with our students and their parents.
I’m also a teacher and am feeling the exact same way! We have a new principal this year also, which adds to my anxiety. But I’m working to have faith and trust God. He is with us and goes before us, like it says in Psalm 139:8–“You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.” I’m praying for us both this morning, along with our students and their parents. ❤️
Awww! Sweet teachers. Your dedication, hard work, sacrifice, love. Our good Father sees you and knows your struggles. Praying a blessing over you ladies today. I love Ashley’s verse in Psalm 139. What a great reminder He is with us all the time. Praying you will feel his presence; that you will have strength and energy; that you will cast your worries and cares on him. Have a great school year!
I just finished a book written by the owner of Hobby Lobby titled, “Giving It All Away and Getting It Back Again.” He talks about living this life like the game of Crazy Eights, NOT Monopoly. In Monopoly we gather and horde, building bigger and accumulate…because the one who has the most stuff at the end wins. In the game of Crazy Eights, the person who gets rid of all their cards first is the winner. The goal of that game is not to have anything left.
This morning the Holy Spirit tied that analogy to worshiping God in holiness.
I need to rid myself of all the things in this world (deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander, unkind words, moral filth, evil…) that would distract or draw me away from my true calling, relationship, service, and love with/to my Lord and Savior. When I am rid of the distractions of this world, what I have left is the “win,” pure, holy, humble, and implanted by God alone.
But, what does that holiness look like? For me? Today? This morning?
It looks like love without compromise.
Love, as Jesus loves:
Love the one who is breaking my heart
Love the ones who love me deeply
Love the struggling neighbor, family, and friends
Love the parents and children nervous about this new school year
Love the difficult boss
my list for today,
And yet, God,
my heart, eyes, and hands, need to be open to the other opportunities to love that will come my way
Because…
I am a sinner.
saved by Your grace.
I am loved without compromise.
I am holy, because You are holy.
I am saved, because You saved me.
I am called worthy, only because You are worthy.
You, Mighty God,
Called me
To this moment,
To this day,
To this journey,
So moment by moment, day by day,
may I lay it all out for You
Will I “play all my cards right, always? No.”
“Will you love me in spite of my failures? Always.”
In the holiness of You Jesus, may I live a Crazy Eight kind of life
poured out, empty,-yet full to overflowing-
All because of You.
In awe and amazement I cling to You.
Thank you for sharing your heart and prayers. Beautifully stated.
♥️
Love this! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, your words touched me deeply this morning.
❤️
God picks me now, Forgives me today, even knowing I’m going to mess up tomorrow. Every day the past gets put behind me, I am a New Creation, I can start again. Whew! What a relief to have a Heavenly Father who will meet me where I’m at!
I am saved and I am growing up into my salvation. I am holy and I am becoming holy. I have been made righteous because of my confession of faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ. There are old habits however that need replaced and as I yield to the Holy Spirit within me, those chains fall. There are attitudes that need submitted to my Lord. I am set apart and still setting apart the old nature. All of this is the faith journey. The Holy Spirit accompanies me. The destination is assured. I am merely His work in progress.
Amen. Churchmouse, do you write on your own somewhere? Blog, etc? You should if you don’t!
I agree Jennifer! Her insights are striking.
Churchmouse, do you write or blog on your own somewhere? You should if you don’t! You’re an insightful communicator and I always appreciate your input!
Amen! Yes, I am His work in progress!
Beautifully said, Churchmouse!
Well said, may I quote you for those I am discipling!?✝️
Beautifully said ❤️
Maria, thank you for this teaching. So true. We can’t do any of this without Him. I was trying to remember your name because I read about your book. Then, I look and see you wrote the devotional!! Love when that happens. The other study I’m doing is in the First 5 app from Proverbs 31 Ministry. We are also studying 1 and 2 Peter. So the verse mentioned above relates to that study is anyone wants to join in.
I’m doing that study as well!