I’ve been reading the book “Captivating” by John and Stasi
Eldredge. God has been using the book to speak to me in tons of ways. He has been showing me all of the areas
of my past that He wants to heal, burdens He wants to take, and a true identity
that He wants to restore. One of the aspects that I love most about this book
is the idea that this personal and intimate relationship Jesus paved the way
for us to have is marked by a road of perfect love. We do not have to strive,
try harder, or be driven to God out of guilt any longer. It is His love that
draws us in. “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1John 4:19) He is the pursuer, and all we have to
do is be open and willing to His movement in our lives.
One of the quotes from the book that has particularly stuck in my
mind is this:
“The root of all holiness is romance.”
What a bazaar concept! I
really had to think about it for a second. This goes against so much of what we
have grown accustomed to. At first glance it may sound girly, or esoteric. But,
it is actually so true!
There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding the word
“holiness”. Most of us think that it is some illusive benchmark of
righteousness that we have to attain. Then, of course, we become discouraged in
pursuit of it and give up. This process develops a false view of God in our
minds. That He is hard to please, and we will never be quite good enough. But,
the true meaning of the word holy is to be “set apart”. God sets us apart when
we receive salvation through faith. Jesus’ sacrifice is complete. There is
nothing we have to do to be good enough for it. It is a free love-gift, and to
accept it is to be set apart. To “be holy” is to act in accordance with the
truth that you are in fact set apart from this world.
It is in this intimate and ever deepening relationship with
the Father that we continue to step into our holiness. When we see ourselves
through God’s eyes we find our great worth! Jesus calls Himself our Bridegroom.
Our fiance! The lover of my soul. The most intimate and loving relationship. The
Lord is pursuing you…
“The root of
all holiness is romance.”
