Walk Worthy

In 2014 God gave me a word for the year: peace. I learned all about His peace and how it is the opposite of stress and how it surpasses my understanding. This one word became my theme and it brought me closer to the Lord and established this fruit of the Spirit in my heart.

I enjoyed the experience so much that I asked God for a word in 2015. But He didn’t give me one. I didn’t ask very persistently and before I knew it, the year was over. Again, in 2016 I passively asked God for a word and never received one.

And here we are, a month and a half into 2017. This time I intently asked the Lord for a word for my year. I deeply desired a word to study, a trait to acquire. And He gave it to me.

Purity.

I still have ten and a half months (and a whole lifetime) of learning about purity, but so far I am delving into three facets of this word.

Physical Purity

Physical purity is more than just sexual purity. It certainly encompasses sexual purity, and it is definitely something worth studying and talking about. I think in Christians communities we're pretty good at implying sexual purity, but I'm afraid it isn't talked about enough. (Future blog posts) Physical purity also incorporates diet and exercise. Am I treating my body as a temple for the Lord? Am I honoring God with my body? Are the things that I’m putting into my mouth, into my stomach, beneficial for me? I am becoming intentional about what I eat and how it is impacting my life. I want to put pure foods into my body for His glory. And on a similar note, I can exercise and stay in shape to keep my body pleasing to Him. A simple 30-minute walk-jog will go a long way in keeping me alert and healthy. Exercising can be an act of worship because I am responding to His love and blessings by choosing to honor the Lord with my body.

Mental Purity

Are my thoughts about other people pure? Are the movies, tv shows, articles, and conversations that I watch/read/engage in, pleasing to the Lord? Am I keeping my mind clear and pure for Him or am I polluting it with unbeneficial content? Am I an active learner, keeping my brain engaged with good knowledge? The Lord gave me a highly capable and functioning brain and it should be my natural response to honor Him with it. 

Relational Purity

Are my friendships pure and honoring of God? Does He have a place in our conversations? Is He glorified by the things that I say and do with my friends? I am a relational person, I love to meet new people and I love to grow friendships. I also love to address conflicts and restore relationships. I desire to seek out broken relationships to find healing and restoration because I believe that it is honoring to God. Purity comes with restoration, right? Well, it can; however, some relationships that are in conflict are toxic relationships. God may be allowing the conflict for a reason. There are certain relationships in my life that have developed into conflict and toxicity and I have desired to restore them to a pure state. But, I am learning that sometimes it is more honoring to God to let relationships end. The relationship was never pleasing to Him and it just needs to go.

With these warm February days, I feel as if I am spring-cleaning my life. I am seeking to detox my body, my mind, my heart, my life. I want nothing other than to be pure before the Lord.

“…walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light” Colossians 1:10-12