Life is complicated. We always try so hard to get everything done, yet there are always those days when we just don’t feel up to getting everything done, and instead try to procrastinate as many items as possible. Laundry, papers, working out, doing devotions, trying to find time to get together with other people, finding time to not get together with people…my goodness. Being an extrovert sadly doesn’t help get all the jobs done.

Examining my personal life pattern, I’ve had to constantly be reminded not to lose sight of the finish line. Each day seems like a week in our special Moody bubble, and there is so much to do every day that to waste even a single day would be horridly out of the question.  During chapel this past week, one of our professors spoke on 1 Peter, and it was deeply convicting. He is an outstanding speaker, and hopefully I will be able to take classes with him someday. He particularly addresssed Chapter 1, and called us to “be holy, as God is holy.” Sure, we read that and have sweet, wistful thoughts about being good and shunning evil. However, we don’t take it seriously; God can’t mean it, because only He is holy! We are so wrong. He does mean we should be holy like Him. Merely thinking about His holiness causes butterflies to flutter furiously within us, particularly with comparison to our sin and “fake holiness” so to speak. How then, can we take 1 Peter 1:15 seriously? Verse 13 and following gives some good context:

“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.”

Through God’s bountiful, loving, and merciful grace, we are being trained to become more and more like Him. It’s a great idea to smile and ponder about, but convicting, for it means we have to “do something!” We have to work hard towards it, and since eternity is utterly more important than this life, this should be our priority. Homework, daily duties, fellowship with friends and family are wonderful blessings from our Lord, but it is so easy to get caught up in the present day that we forget about what’s important. Eternity.

My friend recently e-mailed this wonderful hymn to me, and as I have sung it since early childhood, I never closely studied the words till now. It is thoroughly one of the best hymns to describe how living the Christian life should look like. The words are rich and satisfying, full of blessing and are quite  convicting. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do now. 

“Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.
 
Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.
 
Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.”

Have a blessed week, and I’d love to hear from you all!

~April