These words are not easy for me to say. I find myself comfortable in my life of daily routines. While in the life of a minister nothing stays the same I have found a somewhat normal pace of things that works for me. However, today I am convicted that this is not how I have been called to live a Christian. I am to be vigilant and striving to be holy in my life, even if this means an interruption to my carefully planned schedule or my life is turned upside down. Not only should I be a follower of God but I should also be a threat to the devil.
Today I am reading through the first chapter of Job, preparing to teach children tonight, and I see that God pointed Job out to Satan. "Have you considered my servant Job...?" (see Job 1:8) Hold up! Yes, Job was a blameless man who was upright, who feared God and turned away from evil (see Job 1:1) but this seems to be going a little far. Surely anyone who lives for God is going to have some pressure from the enemy, but to actually be called out by God to the enemy? Just think of the pressure that puts on Job in front of the devil. One reaction readers might have to this story could be, well, I'm glad it's not me. That is just too much pressure. Surely I am not good enough for God to call me out. Besides I don't have time for my life to be interrupted.
But we should be.
In the New Testament we are called to be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:14-16). If we live like this than the description of Job could describe us. While in our human state we will never be perfectly holy, we are to strive for holiness (Hebrews 12:14) in our lives. As we do this and continue to honor and obey God in our lives we become a threat to the devil. When we are a threat to him and his purposes than we will draw attention to ourselves. Though God may not say directly to Satan as he did with Job, "Have you considered my servant Mary Beth?" or "Have you considered my servant (insert name)?" may we strive to holy and to be known by the devil as a God-follower and a threat to his schemes on this earth. May we not have the reaction mentioned above of "I hope it's not me." Oftentimes we can be made more holy in times of struggle and hardship because it is then that God's strength can be seen. May we strive for holiness and live in such a way that with God's strength that our lives say, "Bring it on!"
