Do We Have Holiness?

 “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life” Romans 6:22

   I have long wrestled with how to live a holy life while in the throes of affliction. It has been hard to live a holy life as someone constantly suffering pain, frustration, and disappointment from illness. 

   Yet, if instead of our own efforts, we consider surrendering holiness to God, then holiness becomes possible for the Christian living with constant illness.

   Our illnesses rob us of pride, self-confidence, arrogance, willfulness, and everything else that gets in the way of surrender to God. We are left with weakness, humility, our many needs and the recognition of our insufficiency. This leads to a shorter path of submitting to God than the self-confident, healthy person might be faced with.

   Complete and utter surrender and submission to God: That is our path to holiness and fruitfulness in our walk with Christ. Many of us simply do not have the strength to mount an effort at holiness, much less live holy lives by our own ability. When we surrender to God, He can work through us, enable us, guide us into holy, productive Christian lives through His Spirit.

   Holiness is not about our abilities, but about surrendering ourselves to God. Once we surrender our problems, weaknesses, and illnesses over to God, we can be made not only holy, but useful to Him and His kingdom. Not by our works, but by His power and love working through us, affecting the lives of others through His Holy Spirit.

   Do not despair of being a fruitful Christian due to illness, indeed, it may be that your illness is the key to living a holy, fruitful life.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to live holy lives, completely submitting ourselves to You. Amen.