Looking Good… On the Outside

How easy it is, especially when raised in the church & taught good, moral behavior as a child, to confuse these two very different ideas: acting holy & being holy.

I was that kid. I grew up in a Christian home, going to church a few times a week, growing up in Christian culture, knowing all the dos & don’ts & all the right answers in Sunday School (“Jesus” or “the Bible”).

I KNEW it, but although I became a Christian at a pretty young age, trusting that I needed Jesus to save me from my sins, I still had to learn to go from accepting these taught behaviors to moving them down to my heart as a conscious act of worship to God, consciously striving to please HIM, vs. just knowing the right answer when asked.

It can be easy to live the life of a Pharisee when you grow up in the church–looking pretty good… on the outside.

What’s Beneath the Surface?

You learn to wear the “right” clothes, put on that Christian smile that says, “No really, I’m fine, everything in my life is going just fine” (even if it isn’t), & know all the “right” answers at church.

It can even be taken a step further… joining the choir or band or worship team, leading a Sunday School class or Bible Study, attend every service & event & conference, checking off your “Christian to-do list” of serving in the church, serving your community, reading the Bible & praying before meals & before bedtime… becoming a pastor or a missionary because it just seems like the “right” Christian thing to do.

Now, nothing is wrong with those activities, don’t get me wrong! But, what are our motives? Are we striving to live a life pleasing to the Lord, honoring Him in obedience? Or because it’s the “Christian thing to do.”

Motive Check!

We need a motives check on our lives, maybe even DAILY, because it can be so easy to just slip into going with the motions, versus consciously stopping to say, “God, I may not feel earnest in this right now, but I know it honors You, so I want to keep doing it. Please change my heart & my perspective to seek to please You more than just doing ‘Christian things.’”

I honestly flip flop between these two every day. Some days I GET it & realize I need to live in obedience to Him whether I feel like it or not because He DESERVES it AND because it’s ultimately FOR MY GOOD…. While other days, I just go through the motions to get it done so I can move onto something I’d rather be doing (big mood today).

Do You REALLY Live for HIM?

It’s a struggle, this constant battle between flesh & spirit. Bad habits are easily formed, leading to addictions of idols that we put before Almighty God.

And although they seem shiny & appealing & just what we’re craving… they somehow always slowly & steadily sap our joy… & harden our hearts.

No, it’s not enough to just APPEAR holy while we choose SELF on the inside.

We don’t want to “wash the outside of the cup” while the inside is just gross (or, “full of self indulgence.”) (Matthew 23:25-26)

We don’t want to become “white-washed tombs,” clean on the outside, but full of death on the inside. (Matthew 23:27-28)

Man looks on the outward appearance, it’s true… but God looks at the heart. We can’t fool Him. (1 Samuel 16:7)

Who Do You Glorify When You ACT Holy vs Being Holy? Yourself… or God?

When we ACT holy, it never reaching our heart as an outpour of worship & obedience to God, our behaviors & actions only serve to put the spotlight on YOURSELF as someone who “does everything right,” versus shining a light for HIM Who ALONE is Good.

Acting holy will exhaust you. You will always feel like you never quite measure up, wondering if every other Christian has it together while somehow you just seem to struggle behind your smile.

Acting holy will leave you empty & fruitless, wondering how you can do SO MUCH & still feel like nothing is ever enough.

Striving to BE holy, to live a life that pleases God means recognizing you CAN’T do it alone & that you NEED God’s help guiding you, strengthening you, & enabling you.

Apart from Him, I Can Do NOTHING (John 15:5)

When we seek only His will vs trying to be the end-all, be-all, “best Christian ever”, it takes out the hamster wheel of fruitless pursuit & brings you satisfaction & contentment of quitting the “I can (or should) do it all,” for a life that begins to only go where God leads & leaves the rest up to Him, relying on His help for everything He does lead you to.

Living holiness doesn’t mean adding things to your to-do list. Remember Mary at Jesus’ feet, while Martha exhausted herself trying to be a good hostess? Jesus commended Mary in that scenario. (Luke 10:38-42)

Holiness doesn’t mean MORE WORK, it means only doing HIS work for you, with HIS help… & leaving the rest to Him.

WE NEED HIS HELP EVERY STEP… & He Will Give It AS You Seek Him for It!

We are weak. We are limited. We are prone to wander. We are prideful. We are easily distracted. We are in a constant battle with flesh. We seek SELF.

But God is forgiving. God is All-Powerful & Almighty. God is limitless. God is faithful. God is humble & kind & LOVE. God is patient. God is Enough. God is Victorious. God seeks us. God alone is GOOD.

He DESERVES our ALL. And He gives HIS ALL.

The Difference Between Acting Holy & Being Holy

The difference between acting holy & being holy is a matter of the heart... your motivations. Are you doing it out of obedience to God, to honor Him, to spend time with Him, to shine a light for others to see Him?

Or are you doing it to be a “Good Christian”?

Open your heart for Him to reveal your true motives, repenting over any self-glory, Pharisee-like behaviors you might be having, & ask Him to renew your heart & mind as you seek Him through His Word & prayer.

Shine Hope by determining that Acting holy is not enough. BE holy, for HE is holy. (1 Peter 1:15-16)

Coming Next Week

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