EVERYTHING.
Only ten letters long, but EVERYTHING, well, that’s a really BIG word… it’s one of those all-encompassing words.
“I have everything packed.”
“What you said meant everything to me.”
“Everything was in confusion.”
“My computer crashed, and I lost everything.”
“The doctors did everything they could…”
“Everything‘s going to be OK.”
Just a few examples of how the word ‘everything’ is often used in a sentence… and as you can see, when ‘everything’ is used, it’s a broad sweeping pronoun.
Here’s why ‘everything’ was so arresting to me this past week. See it with me in 1 Peter 1…
“Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires… you must be holy in EVERYTHING you do.”
1 Peter 1:14-15 (NLT)
When I wrote that verse out in my journal, I BOLDED and CIRCLED the word EVERYTHING. And as I did that, well, to say I was convicted of how short I fall of being holy in EVERYTHING I do would be a massive understatement.
And for sake of clarity, I felt ‘convicted’ not ‘condemned.’’ God’s enemy (that would be Satan) loves to bring about condemnation, whereas God, in His grace, kindness, and mercy, brings about ‘conviction’ so that we might continue to grow in looking and living more and more like Jesus.
So, back to the conviction I felt this past week… it came in the form of questions. As I sat with the word ‘everything’, ALL the questions that the LORD brought to mind reflected the ‘everythingness’ about my life…
“Holy in my thoughts?”
“Holy in my attitudes?”
“Holy in my words?”
“Holy in what I watch?”
“Holy in what I listen to?”
“Holy in what I read?”
“Holy in my marriage?”
“Holy in my parenting?”
“Holy in my neighboring?”
“Holy in my reactions?”
“Holy in my private moments?”
“Holy in my public moments?”
And just in case you're wondering how I answered each of those questions… I have lots and lots and lots of room for growth… that was my answer for each and every one of those questions.
As I sat with ‘EVERYTHING’ from 1 Peter, in a fresh way, the LORD reminded me that He cares about holiness in the ‘everything’ of my life.
Maybe you can relate to this, but for me, it’s far too easy to live life in compartments. And some compartments, especially the ones that are more visible to others, well, it’s easier to focus on “being holy” in those spaces and places because, after all, people can see those.
To state the obvious, the LORD can see EVERYTHING. Our view is incredibly limited, but not so with the LORD… He can see ALL THINGS AT ALL TIMES, and as I was reminded this past week in 1 Peter… the LORD wants us to ‘be holy in everything.’
I realize that might sound a bit overwhelming. After all, how on earth can you and I be holy in everything we do?
For starters, there are a few things we must remember.
God’s commands (like this one) are NOT burdensome.
God’s commands (like this one) are NOT overwhelming.
Rather, ALL of God’s commands (especially this one) are intended to bring life, joy, peace, and rest. And like me, I’m guessing you’d more than welcome more life, joy, peace, and rest into the ‘everything’ of your life.
Thankfully, where SIN robs us of all of those things (and so much more), HOLINESS restores all of those things (and so much more).
A massive part of journaling for me has everything (there’s that word again) to do with slowing down long enough to write down the things that the LORD does not want me to forget. And when I wrote out 1 Peter 1:14-15 this past week in my journal, the LORD made me freshly aware of His desire for me… for you… to be holy in EVERYTHING we do.
So, how do we get to a place of being ‘holy in everything we do”?
Jesus was holy in everything He did.
There was not one moment in the life of Jesus when He was not practicing holiness.
In short, the call to be holy in everything we do is to be like Jesus in everything we do.
I’d love to have you join me in praying a very simple but powerful prayer… a prayer to be prayed before EVERYTHING you do…
“Jesus, how might I be more like you in this conversation?”
“Jesus, how might I be more like you while online today?”
“Jesus, how might I be more like you at work today?”
“Jesus, how might I be more like you in my private (or personal) time?”
“Jesus, how might I speak more like you today?”
“Jesus, how might I think more like you today?”
As you ask those questions of Jesus throughout your day, rest assured that His answer will lead you to live out 1 Peter 1:14-15… being holy in EVERYTHING you do, just as He was holy in everything He did.
