Is It Sustainable?

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
(2 CORINTHIANS 7:1)

Thought for the Day: Holiness doesn’t just deal with my spiritual life; it very much deals with my physical life as well.

Most people ask the same two questions when they hear about my weight loss and healthy eating plan: “How did you do it?” and “Is this something you can sustain?” In other words, they are wondering, “If I follow your advice, what will I have to give up forever?”

We often desire the long-term solution, but shy away from the actions necessary to reach our goal. Sacrificing for a season is not fun, but it is doable. However, sacrificing until we no longer desire what has been given up? Well, that just takes discipline to a whole new level. Is this kind of sacrificial discipline really sustainable?

My answer is no and yes.

No, I do not believe in our own strength we can sustain a level of discipline that requires real sacrifice for a long period of time.

However, my answer is yes if we factor in a crucial spiritual truth. Making the connection between my daily disciplines with food and my desire to pursue holiness is crucial. And holiness doesn’t just deal with my spiritual life; it very much deals with my physical life as well.

It is good for God’s people to be put in a place of longing so they feel a slight desperation. Only then can we be empty enough and open enough to discover the holiness we were made for. When we are stuffed full of other things and never allow ourselves to be in a place of longing, we don’t recognize the deeper spiritual battle going on.

Satan wants to keep us distracted by chasing one temporary filling after another. God wants us to step back and let the emptying process have its way until we start desiring a holier life. The gap between our frail discipline and God’s available strength is bridged with nothing but a simple choice on our part to pursue this holiness.

I was challenged by a pastor friend’s confident statement, “God tells us to be holy. So be holy. He wouldn’t have said it if it weren’t possible.”

This is a truth the apostle Paul affirmed when he wrote, “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).

Moment by moment we can make the choice to live in our own strength and risk failure or to reach across the gap and grab hold of God’s unwavering strength. And the beautiful thing is, the more dependent we become on God’s strength, the less enamored we are with other choices.

Dear Lord, I long to experience the holiness I was made for. I want to reach across the gap and grab hold of Your strength — the unwavering strength that leads to peace and joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.