Holiness How-To's

The book of Psalms begins by telling us what the happy, or blessed, man does not do.

“Blessed is the man who walk not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful” (Ps. 1:1).

The happy believer does not walk, stand, or sit with those who do not want to obey God. The blessed woman is blessed because she chooses to reject the counsel of the ungodly, to stay off the same path as sinners who are rejecting God, and to not hang around scornful people.

Of course, there is a challenge when the scornful person is your husband!

Even though you may not be able to avoid the company of a sinful, scornful person, you can choose to not participate in their practices, thoughts and behaviors, and therefore, the path of blessing stays open.

Psalm 1 goes on to tell us what the happy believer can do:

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Ps. 1:2).

The holy, happy woman chooses what she thinks about day and night— the Word of God. So much of our unhappiness stems from what we choose to think about.

The biblical recipe for happiness is:

Holy Living + Holy Thinking = Blessedness (Happiness).

If you want to be happy, then seek to be holy. Be as set apart from this sin-sick world as possible. Draw nearer and nearer to Jesus through His Word, and act like He does toward the people around you.

This may be difficult when you seem to be the only one walking in holiness, but the eventual by-product pf obedience is contentment.

The holier you are, the happier you will be.

Holiness is primarily a personal pursuit— one that every believer chooses when they follow Christ as Savior— whether they are married or single. Each of us is ultimately responsible for our own holiness, and therefore, our own happiness.

-Nancy

February 24, 2021