If we all went by online advice and pictures for what we ought to wear, how we ought to look, or what products we ought to buy, we would all be super boring because we would all be the same! Who decides the “ought to’s” anyway? Most of the things that are in vogue to think, do, eat, and wear, were considered hideous at some point in the past – perhaps the not-too-distant past!
One of the funniest reels I ever saw was a group of middle-aged moms trying on stylish clothes in a store that targets teens and young adults. The moms were cracking up at how they looked in these items. Onlookers stared at them like they had lost their minds. These ladies strutted out of the store in clothing that looked so wrong on them. One mom hung back to video people’s reactions as they walked by. They got backward glances from just about everyone. Some whispered among themselves, some outright laughed, and of course, some were too wrapped up in their own thing to pay any attention.
The point is – these women had on clothing that was at the height of fashion! Come to find out, when society dictates things, it is at their discretion as to how and when you wear, think, eat, and do things. So why do we work so hard to “fit in”? Because we don’t like the awkward feeling of being different. The exception is if we are in a position of honor, prestige, or victory! If the nerdiest kid in class suddenly wins the lottery, or the dorky person is seen with Taylor Swift, they suddenly have “friends” they never had before!
“Sometimes you have to stand out on earth to fit in in heaven.” This was a quote from an 8th grader many years ago. Profound. When Jesus calls his followers to “Be holy because I [the Lord your God] am holy” (Leviticus 11:44,45; 19:2, I Peter 1:16), that doesn’t mean be perfect. After all, He knows who He is working with. God’s Word says in Psalms and Romans that “there is none righteous” and then emphasizes “NO NOT ONE”. When Jesus calls us to “be holy” He means – be set apart from the rest of the world and be part of my team. The Hebrew word for holy is kadesh meaning “to cut or separate for a layered, ordered purpose”. When we belong to Jesus, we are set apart in order to achieve His purpose, which is for our good and the good of His Kingdom.
When you know and follow Jesus, it makes sense to obey and live like Him. Even those who don’t follow Him say He was a really good person. Sadly, living for Him isn’t popular because Jesus has an enemy. Someone in the spiritual realm fighting hard against Him. He is disguised as an “angel of light” and is seeking that which belongs to Jesus to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). An angel of light looks gooooood. But it is a disguise. Pretty things, tasty things, shiny baubles, things that make us feel powerful… These feel good for a minute, then the feeling goes away; OR we get so sucked in, that the pursuit of that feeling becomes more important than anything else in our lives, including our life!
The verse before “be holy” in 1 Peter (1:15) makes the holy goal a little more clear: “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.” Until we have a personal relationship with Jesus, we are unsure about the whole heaven thing. Will I get in, or won’t I? Is there even an afterlife? Why is Jesus asking SO MUCH of me? Instead, we fall into a mindset of “let me just focus on satisfying my needs, wants and desires – ‘eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow I die.’”
Jesus knows what is best for us, and He actually cares more about us than anyone. In the Bible, the book of Daniel tells stories of some young Israelite guys who were taken captive by a culture that didn’t know or follow the Lord. These fellas made their home in that culture but didn’t let it pull them away from God. After some time passed, three of these Israelites were given a choice: turn from your God and worship an idol, or be thrown in a fiery furnace. They chose the furnace over dissing the One True God. Soon after, another Israelite captive, Daniel, “chooses” to be thrown to lions rather than forsake praying to God. Because these guys KNEW the Almighty, they knew nothing was better than standing out as being for the Lord. They were working to be holy by setting themselves apart.
When we grasp the holiness concept, we are first grasping who it is we are aligning with: The Maker of Heaven and Earth! NOTHING, not even the threat of death to our earthly body, will entice us to relinquish our identity with Jesus to fit in somewhere else. We have an inheritance that no one can take away! The King of Kings knows our name. He loves us. He sacrificed Himself for us. He calls to us to come to paradise with Him.
Don’t fit in here on earth and be left standing outside of heaven. Our Father offers us so much more than this world ever could – love, honor, prestige, and victory! Knowing Jesus gives us belonging from this day forward and forever.
