“This Much but No More”
The question hit me like cold water on the face, “Where have I said to God, ‘This much, but no more’?” Where have I stopped short in trying to live a godly life? I was reading 2 Kings 10, (admittedly a pretty violent chapter) about Jehu, King of Israel, who killed the wicked King Ahab and his beautiful but evil wife Jezebel. He then purged the country of all the priests and prophets of Baal. Jehu was on the right track to point his country back to God.
But 2 Kings 10:28 says: “So Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel. However, he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.” When I read that, I thought “NOOOOO!” In his zeal, he had killed off those false prophets but then he allowed the continued worship of idols. How could he have gone through all that, and then stopped short?
And then I turned that question on myself. How do I stop short of the holiness to which God calls me?
This thought came on the heels of a recent hang out with a friend. On the morning after, the Holy Spirit brought this verse to mind:
“If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.” James 1:26. OUCH! My religion is worthless?? I think the point is, we just can’t go on sinning. We are being transformed. One area in which I continue to struggle is with my tongue. (It is my “golden calf” if you will. It is the thing I have not successfully purged.) I say more than I should, I participate in or allow gossip. (I have a feeling I may have written a blog using this exact verse years ago and that too grieves me! Will I ever get it right?)
The good news is I am not a murderer, adulterer, thief, extortionist, blackmailer, or cheat. God has purged much sin and desire for sin from my life. Could we just focus on that?
But the bad news is that I can be like Jehu. I allow God to transform me this much, but no more. The standard is holiness. God says, “Be holy for I am holy.” God does not take even our “little” sins lightly. I don’t want to be like Jehu. I can’t decide that certain sins are not a big deal. The measuring stick is not a partying adulterous Jezebel, the measuring stick is a perfect and holy God. I think many of us tend to minimize our own sin. We think about how much worse we could be and decide it isn’t important. I am realizing that God doesn’t share this feeling! He wants us to want to be holy.
Where do you tell God, this much but no more? Have you decided that your sins are not a big deal? Do you continue in overindulging, pornography, lust, pride, criticism, or gossip? Where have you drawn the line with how much you are willing to change? Are you allowing God to transform you?
Perfect holiness is something we will never fully attain on this side of eternity, but he wants us to seek to be more like Him in big things and “small.” How do we do this?
Try the AAA approach: Adore, Ask, Agree.
Adore Him! Focus on who God is. Spend time getting to know Him better. The more I see His power, His character, His holiness, His desire to be in relationship with us, the more I will want to pursue Him. We can’t be in relationship with Him and not be transformed by Him. I see how He has pursued me all the days of my life. Out of an outpouring of love for Him, I should want to be more like Him. If I focus on what He has redeemed me from, I will want to please Him with my life. I am called to be an imitator of Christ.
Ask God to show you your sin. Each morning, I set a timer and sit in silence, asking God to show me where I have strayed. I pray Psalm 139:23-24:
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
I sit in stillness, waiting for the Holy Spirit to reveal my sin to me. He is faithful, He will do it. Remember, the Holy Spirit convicts in specifics. He doesn’t say you are a worm, (that’s not Him speaking), He says, here’s what you did.
Agree with God about your sin and agree to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. He will guide you in your life and help you to do that to which He calls you. Sometimes, the Spirit leads me to go back and apologize to people, sometimes I have to confess my sin to others. The best news is Jesus will forgive all our sins and cleanse us from our unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9). I don’t have to shy away from my sin, God sees it already, He wants me to see it as well!
I can get discouraged about my continued sinfulness. I have been walking with Jesus for a long time. Then I remember that God is still working in my life. (“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6”) Or consider:
“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 1 John 3:2-3
ABOUT OUR BLOGGER
Bonnie Kotler and her husband Mitch have two daughters, three sons, seven grandchildren and three grand-puppies. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years before re-entering the workforce after receiving her M.S. in Counseling and Human Relations from Villanova University. She is a licensed professional counselor at The Peacemaker Center and her own private practice, True North Counseling. Bonnie has been on the Willowdale women’s ministry teaching team since 2012. Bible studies have played a key role in her walk as a believer, and in turn, she loves to help other women find their peace with God and grow in their faith. She enjoys writing Bible study materials, reading fiction, spending time with family and doing anything in the sunshine. Bonnie loves to laugh and considers laughter as the best medicine. Psalm 126:2