This has been a very productive Tuesday. Have you ever had a day when because you woke up much earlier than you usually do, the day seems to be longer? I had one of those days today. With an early appointment at the doctor I had– what seemed like–so much time left in the day. I had time to nap, [1] read, run errands, make some gift exchanges, pre-register at the hospital and meet with some girls for a Bible [2] study. To top it all off, today was the day that I went all out and did what I’ve wanted to do for awhile now. I bought an iPod. It’s the “Nano”, much smaller than the original iPod. I think “nano” means “one billionth of”, like nanosecond, but I was never sure why Apple named it that until I brought it home and saw just how tiny it is. It is about four inches long and maybe as thick as or even a little narrower than a pencil.

Tonight some girls and I spent some time studying Hebrews 12:14, discussing holiness. Hebrews gives a rather jarring reality check to us believers when it says, “Pursue holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” We talked about the call to be holy is overwhelming because the only comparison descriptions we came up with were “sinless” and “perfect”. Even as believers, this is an impossible feat apart from the grace of God. We must be faithful to draw near to Him, obey His Word and flee temptation.

The discussion of Christians as a living witness continues to be of frequent discussion in my circle. The reality that the life of a believer must reflect the virtue and freedom of the Gospel is becoming increasingly clearer to me. It is vital that believers live this way not only to represent Christ to unbelievers but also to verify the saving work we claim has happened in our lives. It is easy to find ways out of “having” to be holy, excuses like “I am only human” or “I’m just not a morning person” are just an example of the abundance of sin-sick ways that we choose self over our holy God. I was inspired and encouraged to meet together tonight to be challenged on the excuses I make in my own life. When I can confess my struggles with sin and self, and know that those who I am opening to are all striving toward the same end as me it provides so much hope and motivation to keep seeking the Lord. I hope that everyone has or will find a godly friend with whom they make it a point to confess and pray with (James 5:16). It isn’t just a perk of the Christian life…it is a necessity.