Consecration & Holiness

2 Timothy 1:9 AMP

[For it is He] Who delivered and saved us and called us with a calling in itself holy and leading to holiness [to a life of consecration, a vocation of holiness]; [He did it] not because of anything of merit that we have done, but because of and to further His own purpose and grace (unmerited favor) which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began [eternal ages ago].

Society defines us by our vocation, by the work we do. Are you a firefighter? A doctor? A plumber? A waitress? Unemployed? But those are not the vocations by which God defines us. God's job is for us to be holy.

I've been meditating on this scripture for over a week now. I keep asking myself, "How much effort do I put into living a consecrated life? How much do I work at the job of being holy?" It is effort and work. If it wasn't difficult then life wouldn't be such a struggle. There are too many lies, distractions and tricks from the devil keeping us on our toes for us to say our lives are easy. Too many trials and tribulations for us to think we're sailing through our time on this earth. So how much effort are we putting in? Are we choosing to live our lives according to God's Word?  Or are we taking the easy way and living according to the world's standards?

As the choices come between the world's values and God's values I have to admit that there are times that I don't make the right choice. It is a daily and even hourly struggle. But I hope that as my life goes on I am choosing God's values more and more often. And I find that the more time I spend reading my bible or meditating on God's instruction the easier it becomes to choose God's values. 

I choose to live a life of consecration. I choose a vocation of holiness.