There is so much more that we can do than what we can’t when it comes to God. Holiness is not religion or being seen to be doing and saying only the “appropriate” things. Holiness draws us close to God; it brings freedom and a full and overflowing life. Whereas religion actually binds people up and is full of fear, bondage and legalism.
Everything in legalism is about something you can’t do. Yet if you look at Jesus and how He lived you see him partying, eating, drinking, mixing with all sorts of people, and even going to what the religious people would have said were forbidden places. The religious legalists of the time even called Jesus a glutton and drunkard. (Matthew 11:19)
Perhaps a better way to seek God and to be holy as He is holy is not to look for a set of rules to live by, but to concentrate on what we can freely do in life, because in doing so it will bring a lot of fun and joy into our lives. (1 Peter 1:16; John 10:10)
God is not primarily interested in our outward condition, especially when it doesn’t match up with our inner life. When we determine to seek our best life in God the main thing is our motives and why and how we are doing things. If our motives are pure and we are seeking to be the best version of ourselves, full of goodness and life and colour, God will continuely lead us in the right direction and away from those things that aren’t going to be beneficial for us or those around us.
However as I tell our kids, “You can’t be afraid of living…let yourself live, trust God to lead you, listen to his voice and simply go out and enjoy being you and discovering who that is. Don’t be afraid of making a mistake, crossing the line or messing up because you are in the process of living and learning. When you have a relationship with Jesus and you’re not being confined to a set of rules to live by through habit, fear or other’s expectations, your’e going to be just fine. You’ll discover you, your place, God’s heart and the abundant, blessed life He wants to give you; that He desires to give for no other reason than that He loves and delights in you. Trust yourself; trust God and go and live. He’ll be there with you, every step of the way.
Today I encourage you to check your motives as to why you are doing or not doing things. Are you seeking to be the fullest, most colourful version of yourself and focusing on the life that God has always planned for you? Or are you being constrained by legalism, fear and judgement and then getting busy putting that on others too? I recommend giving it all over to Jesus and choosing to pick up his yoke which is easy and light, as you learn from Him and go out and truly live.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you in the way you should go, I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” (Psalm 32:8)
Prayer: Lord thank you that you are for me and not against me and desire my life to be filled with good things. Please purify my heart and show me how to live truly free in you. In Jesus name Amen.
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