Over Flow

One of the issues that man has really missed the boat on over the years is the issue of holiness. Throughout Scripture, God commands us to be holy. God desires for us to become whole and complete beings. Tradition has taken those commands and filtered them through a desire of individual glory in that, mankind has chosen to make the topic of holiness something that humans can make happen. Over the years, man has determined that you can be holy either doing or not doing certain things. If you have ever tried that, you know it’s a loser. Pastor Stoesz, one of my mentors told me that he was praying for 150 people a day. I thought, “I can do better than that,” so I started praying for 200 people a day. The net result was that in my own strength I grew tired of praying for that many people and I stopped. That’s what the “way of glory” is like. It’s OUR attempt to do more and become whole and holy people. I can’t make myself holy. You can’t either. God is the one who makes us holy.

How do you know if God is making you whole and holy? The answer can be found in your ability to love others. Jesus said we are to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27) To be holy is to be like Jesus. Jesus was able to love the Father and love all people with his entire being. When we ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with His love, the overflow of God’s love enables us to love others. God is the one who enables us to become whole and holy.

So the question of the month is . . .  “Do you love God and people more this year than you did last year?” If so, well done! If not, you can change that. Stop trying to be something you’re not. Quit trying to be a holy man or woman on your own. Surrender to God and allow the Holy Spirit to bring an overflow of His love and power into your life. You will notice the overflow of wholeness in your daily faith walk. Other people will notice as well. The best part of it is that God will notice and He will continue to transform you into the person you long to become.

–Rev. Al Goracke serves as pastor of Kingswood (Wesleyan) Church in Blaine, Minnesota. Visit the church’s Web site for more devotionals from Rev. Goracke.