The "New" Holy Habits

In early 2007, I was invited to share a message with a group of lovely gals living in a recovery home. They were each on their own spiritual journey, learning how to depend on the Lord to overcome their addictions. To be honest, I was really lost at first in terms of what I could bring that would be appropriate. After searching my heart and seeking the Lord for understanding, it became clear that there weren't really any differences between the women in the recovery home and myself. We all were struggling with coping habits. My habits were more private, and more acceptable. Their habits were no longer private, having reached a destructive stage that required intervention and legal consequences.

As I spent time in prayer, the Lord brought me to a place of humility and He birthed the concept of Holy Habits -- a message about ditching our coping habits for holy ones by looking at key Biblical truths for step-by-step instruction on living a holy life. The message was well-received and became foundational to my own faith-walk.

Almost two years have passed since I first began thinking and living intentionally in terms of Holy Habits. I never imagined what the Lord would do with it, or through the posting of the short series here at Extravagant Grace. But God did and He had bigger plans. In mid-October of 2008, I received an enthusiastic email from a gal organizing a women's retreat at her church. The Lord put it on her heart to have the weekend themed, "Holy Habits," so she decided to do a Google search. My devotional series popped right up and, after checking out the series of posts, she contacted me, curious as to where I live (yes, I try to keep that private!) and whether I'd be interested in leading a retreat weekend on the topic.

Needless to say, I was speechless. The desire of my heart has been to minister, in the name of Jesus, to women hungry for the Word. For a time, I cranked the wheels in my brain trying to figure out how to make it happen, until I finally surrendered the desires to the Lord and laid down all my efforts during the spring of 2008. Literally, I gave up the reigns and resigned myself to the fact that if this sort of thing would ever happen, it would like be in my own hometown (not across the country) and ten or fifteen years down the road, when my littlest ones would be well into their teen years. I never imagined that the Lord would open doors in such an amazing way, and bring forth one short message on Holy Habits into a full size retreat now!

In the past few months of preparation, Holy Habits has taken on a life of its own, demanding time, sacrifice, perseverance, and facing all sorts of fears. It has changed shape and dimension, driving me into a deep investigation of God's holiness. I've learned that we absolutely can not be holy if we're not first sealed by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. Without our justification (being saved), our sanctification (becoming holy) is impossible. We must be in a relationship with our Heavenly Father, the HOLY ONE, through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ, if we have any hope of being holy. I've also learned that holiness does not mean happiness, but that the holy life can be a rich testimony of the power of a hope-filled life connected directly to the source of holiness -- God, himself.

It has been a powerful season of study, rich with personal growth. I'm looking forward to sharing the Holy Habits message with a special group of gals that have been divinely set up to step up in their faith. I covet your prayers, my sweet sisters in Christ, as I move into the final days of preparation. Keep a look out for the Holy Habits logo, as I hope to post resources here and there for the retreat gals to draw upon, which I'm sure will be of great benefit to you as well.

These are exciting times. Rich with blessings on one hand and yet replete with trials and sufferings. But God is faithful always and calls us to be holy, because He is holy. Our future is in God.

1 Peter 1:13-22 the Message
^13-16So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives. Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, "I am holy; you be holy."

¹⁷You call out to God for help and he helps—he's a good Father that way. But don't forget, he's also a responsible Father, and won't let you get by with sloppy living.

^18-21Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ's sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It's because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.

Only by His Grace,

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