“For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life” (1 Thessalonians 4:7).

I once struggled with the concept of holiness. I identified it at times as external things like styles and fashions that set people apart as Christians. It’s much more than that. The word itself was used in Scripture not to define how I parted my hair or whether or not a woman wore makeup. It simply meant “different.” Christians are different. They are set apart for God.

We have dishes in our house that are “holy.” They are set apart for guests. There are place settings I can’t use. They come out when we have guests. We have china cups I can’t use. I use the common cups for my coffee.

Holiness means that I am set apart for God. My mind, my hands and my eyes are to be for Him. My vision is set apart for His purposes. I’ve changed the style of my clothes (from bell bottoms to skinny jeans) many times in my life but my mind, my thoughts and my heart are for Him. That is holiness! And that is what God is looking for in each of our lives.