set aside

I made a mistake once, when I was a lot younger and a new usher at our church. I thought it would be funny to put some visitors in a pew that a certain farmer always sat in with is family. Even though technically it wasn't reserved, in the farmer's mind it was, and also, as I found out afterward, in the minds of most of the congregation too. The disruption was significant.

Whether or not we actually put "Reserved" signs out, we tend to claim certain seats in church, parking spots at work, tables in restaurants. After a while, we think of them as ours, set aside for our use only.

When we do that, we're just being proud. When God does it, the word he uses is "holy."

Look at the prescriptions laid out for worship in God's prophecy of a new temple, given to Ezekiel. Ezekiel 42:13-14 says, "Then he said to me, 'The north and south rooms facing the temple courtyard are the priests’ rooms, where the priests who approach the Lord will eat the most holy offerings. There they will put the most holy offerings—the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings—for the place is holy. Once the priests enter the holy precincts, they are not to go into the outer court until they leave behind the garments in which they minister, for these are holy. They are to put on other clothes before they go near the places that are for the people.'"

Priests, offerings, rooms, garments, all set aside for the singular purpose of worshiping God. That's what holiness is, being completely set aside for God's use. Some things used in God's service, like the iPad I use to take sermon notes in church, have a lot of other uses too. Others are meant for God alone.

I need to remember that I'm one of the things God claims as his own. He says in many ways throughout the New Testament that the people saved by Jesus blood are holy. We're meant for service to God and nothing else. 

I can easily think that I'm serving myself, or my family, or my boss. That's why I'm here, to be a good citizen and provide for my family. That's a false understanding of my purpose, though. I'm set aside for Godly purposes. When I work or socialize or entertain myself, my purpose doesn't change. I'm to show everyone by my choices what God loves. 

That means there shouldn't ever be times when I feel free to choose things God would frown at. I've heard all the arguments about being relevant to our culture, or not making faith look like such a drag. Does that mean I should watch Fifty Shades of Gray, or read the books? That one's easy, I don't want to, but a lot of people I know have. But you get my point. If I make the same choices as non-Christians, then how am I different? If I'm different only in ways that other people can't see, then how am I effective?

I think a key part of being set aside for God is this: when I truly choose only what God would choose for me, I have true joy. That's something that will blaze like a beacon in this unhappy world, so people will examine my life to see what I have that they don't. If they see all the same stuff they're already doing, they'll turn away. If they see something different, maybe they'll think about it, or come ask me.

Am I really ready to commit to a holy life? It makes me uneasy, but being a Christ-follower means growing in holiness.