But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9–1 Peter 2:9
Are you feeling set aside or set apart?
Being set apart sometimes has the connotation of being set aside. But it does not have to mean loneliness or isolation. When we feel as if we are standing alone, it actually turns out to be a very appropriate time to remember that we are, in reality, never by ourselves! God is always by our side.
God commands us to be holy. Scriptures such as Leviticus 11:44-45 and 1 Peter 1:5-16 make it clear that being holy is not a gentle suggestion or an insignificant request. He instructs us in a straightforward manner to be holy because He is holy.
If we take God’s Word seriously, then it is a good time to figure out the definition of the word, “holy,” and how it applies to our lives. Also, it might be a good time to figure out and admit where obedience ranks on our list of important attributes. And one more thing: It would definitely be a good time to remember that when He gives us a command, He also equips us with the ability to follow through successfully. God simply does not command us to do anything without giving us the ability of doing it!
Being holy doesn’t mean just saying holy things and taking holy actions. It includes our motive behind the words we say and the actions we take. It means speaking to others the way Jesus would and loving others the way Jesus commands.
Being holy is striving to have eyes that see others the way Jesus does. It also means responding to Him in a way He is worthy of because of His unmatched holiness.
When we choose to make the pursuit of holiness a priority in our lives, we will have a sense of urgency about it, and we will become committed to making the hard choices that come with it.
Making those aforementioned hard choices can sometimes cause us to feel like we have been set aside, but if we decide to change our outlook, it is then that we see we are actually set apart. Not set aside. And set apart is a great place to be, because God is there.
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