Holiness Is Worth It

I truly love it when God smacks me upside both head and heart...especially in the early morning hours when my time with him is most precious and unencumbered by the pounding drums of the Matrix waiting for me to step out my apartment door and into a world at war.

This morning, I was reading a chapter from Free to Live, a wonderful book by John Eldredge (originally published as The Utter Relief of Holiness). In the chapter entitled "The Fruit of Holiness," the final paragraph was what struck me most deeply after the deep truths I had read on the pages leading up to it:

"So let me say one more time, the pursuit of a deep and genuine holiness is worth whatever it costs you. Because holiness is an utter relief. It is a joy and a healing of your creation. It will make you powerful in the Spirit, it will rescue you again and again, it will fortress you to the enemy's attacks, it will make your life a compelling argument for Jesus because it is of the same quality as his. Finally, in these last days, the saints are being sorely tested. Holiness is your strength and your safe passage through the trial. It is worth it." (p. 168)

Wow...let me pull a few words that light my heart on fire: "...relief...joy...healing...powerful in the Spirit...rescue...fortress...compelling argument for Jesus...quality...strength...safe passage through trial..."

As I continue my journey of becoming as a man, this masculine journey with God and others is full of risk, reward, honor wounds, and dangerous for good moments throughout each day. And to seek holiness, I know that whatever it costs me I become more and more willing to pay. The currency of holiness is to become whole - in me and for God. 

For more on John Eldredge and Ransomed Heart Ministries, click here.

For more on John Fontaine and Maximus Heart, click here.