From Holey to Holy

Hi, and thanks for joining us for today's encouragement from the Our Daily Bread devotional.

I'm Elisa Morgan, and I called our reading from Holy to Holy. As a child, my daughter loved playing with her Swiss cheese at lunch. She'd place the pastel yellow square in her face like a mask, saying, Look, Mom! Her sparkly green eyes peeking out from the two holes in the cheese.

As a young mom, that Swiss cheese mask summed up my feelings about my efforts. Genuinely offered, full of love, but so very imperfect. Holy, not holy. Oh, how we long to live a holy life, a life set apart for God and characterized by being like Jesus. But day after day, holiness seems out of reach. In its place, our holiness, our full of wholeness remains. In 2 Timothy 1, Paul writes to his protégé Timothy, urging him to live up to his holy calling. The apostle then clarified in verse 9 that God has saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything we have done, but because of his own purpose and grace. This life is possible not because of our character, but because of God's grace. Paul continues, This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.

Can we accept God's grace and live from the platform of power it provides? Whether in parenting, marriage, work, or loving our neighbor, God calls us to a holy life, made possible not because of our efforts to be perfect, but because of his grace. For today's scripture reading, I'll be reading from 2 Timothy chapter 1, verses 6 through 10. For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me, his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything we have done, but because of his own purpose and grace.

This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it is now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Let's pray. Dear God, please help us to lean into your grace and not our own efforts to live a holy life. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Elisa Morgan, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.