You are where you are because of holiness

We often go through life living selfishly, seeking "happiness" or "success," without stopping to ponder on the real purpose of life. And not just any life. I'm talking about our Christian life. Have you ever wondered, "What is my purpose? Right now? Right here?" 

What if I told you your purpose is holiness? Yes, holiness. What if I judged every action, every word, every thought, by how it will impact MY holiness?

I listened to a great sermon by John Piper quite a while ago and it's been whirling in my head ever since. (If you want to listen to the full sermon, check it out here: Healed for the Sake of Holiness) In his sermon, Piper explains how Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda, not simply for the sake of physical healing, but  so that the man may come to know Him and turn from sin. The man was healed so that he may become holy.  (Holiness was also the topic we covered last week in my Spiritual Life online class at DTS so it's a topic that's been on my mind a lot lately.)

What is holiness, you ask? Holiness is complete separation. It is literally translated to mean "to set apart" or "to mark off." Holiness is complete separation from evil and sin. Usually, when we speak of holiness, we speak of God. God is holy. If I were to explain holiness to a 10-year-old kid, this is the word picture I would use:

The closet of a typical little girl is usually filled with lots of different dresses. There are the casual dresses that are worn every day. They tend to be more ragged, sometimes stained and always wrinkled. They often get tossed on the closet floor, where they get stepped on and kicked around. Those dresses can easily be thrown in the washing machine with the rest of the dirty laundry. However, in that same closet is a very different type of dress. Unlike the casual dresses that end up in the corner of the closet floor, this dress is kept in a tightly zipped garment bag. This dress is sparkly white, silky smooth and has never been worn. It is kept completely separate from the other clothes. It’s not a dress that can be worn to go to the park or to the zoo. It’s a dress specifically made to be worn to a wedding banquet. 

You see, this pretty white dress is like the holiness of God. Just like the pretty white dress is separate from the other dirty dresses in the closet, God is separate from all things that are dirty, broken and ordinary. To be holy means to be separate from all unclean things. Just like the pretty white dress that is clean, pure, and never been worn, God is also pure and clean. He does not get dirty with sin. He is different from ordinary people because he has extraordinary characteristics. He acts differently than people do. For example, God is perfectly loving and perfectly fair at the same time. Just like the pretty white dress that is meant to be worn only at a wedding, God has a different purpose than people do. Because God is holy, He also wants people to be holy. He wants people to be like that pretty white dress that is kept pure and separate from the rest of the dirty things.

I know, I know, it's a very elementary description of God and holiness, but hear me out. Reason with me. If God is holy and His Word states that we must be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:14-16: "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”), then everything that we say, do and think must aim toward holiness. The beautiful thing is that we cannot be holy on our own. Our holiness is completely dependent on the Holy One himself. His grace alone can make us holy. He brings holiness out of us. For that reason, He allows certain things to happen to us in order for those things to bring out holiness in us. Plainly speaking, God allows illness into our lives to bring about holiness. God allows health into our lives to bring about holiness. You see, it's the same answer for everything. Singleness - for holiness. Marriage - for holiness. Suffering - for holiness. Joy - for holiness. Unemployment - for holiness. Wealth - for holiness. Children - for holiness. Infertility - for holiness. And the list can go on forever.

God knows what each person needs in order for that person to be holy. For one person, it may mean that he or she needs to be married. For another person, it means he or she needs to be single. And so on. In all cases, God desires to bring about holiness. In me. In you. It is only in holiness that we are united with God.

Even in the Old Testament, (I'm reading through Leviticus right now), God allows the nation of Israel to experience war, famine, captivity, etc. to bring about holiness in His people. God is not sending calamity upon His people because He hates them and wants to see them struggle. Instead, He does so because loves them and wants them to look up to the Lord, recognize their dependence on Him and turn away from their false idols. God wants His people to be separate from the world and united with Him in perfect holiness.

Are you thinking this way? Are you considering the situation you're in right now as a means toward the greater end of holiness? Or, are you complaining about your plight? Are you blaming God for the situation, or are you thanking Him for working on you, your character, your holiness?

Simply giddy

Giddy. Yes, giddy.  That's how I would describe my current state. I'm simply giddy.

I started my first class at DTS this week! Granted it's online, but still. I'm officially a Dallas Theological Seminary student! It's beyond exciting. The class is PM101 - Spiritual Life and our first assignment was to post a little autobiography about ourselves and then respond to other students. I'm fascinated with each person's story! Each person comes from such a different background and yet at some point in life, God stepped in and flipped their world upside down. Most of the students that have already posted their autobiographies became Christians later in life, usually during their college years. I was especially inspired by the autobiography of one student. She was born into a very well-educated Hindu family. She became a Christian as a senior in college and is only one of two people in her whole family to be a believer. What a story of courage! When writing my own autobiography I realized how exceptionally blessed I am to be born into a Christian home and be brought up in a nurturing church of believers. It's truly humbling. Because I grew up in this Christian Slavic Sacramento bubble I don't think I really valued my upbringing and community enough. We are so privileged to grow in faith and spiritual maturity with such a "cloud of witnesses."

I'm also super excited about my upcoming move to Dallas. DTS has this housing website that I equate to Match.com because it matches you with people who you are most compatible with (roommate-wise). I've had my profile on the site for almost a week and today was the first time I got an email from a possible roommate. Being the "investigator" that I am, I checked her out on Facebook and she looks like such a fun and laid-back person. I may be jumping to conclusions way too quickly, but she seems like someone I'd get along with really well. I can't wait to see who I actually end up with! The excitement of it all is getting the best of me!

Here's what my profile sounds like... Do I sound like a cool person to live with?

 Bedtime: 12 PM
 Wakes up: 9 AM
 Security: Lock the apartment only when we are not home
 Conflict: Talk about things
 Sharing: I prefer to be asked for permission before sharing anything
 Cleaning: Usually orderly and clean (each clean our own mess) 
 Goes out: Once or twice a week
 Looking for someone who: Is outgoing
 I hope my @roommate and I: Be friends and spend some time together
 Have a significant other who will be around: No
 Smoking: No
I'm an incoming DTS student, relocating from Sacramento, CA. I will be studying Christian Education at DTS. I'm outgoing and can strike up a conversation with pretty much anyone. I love to be spontaneous, explore new places and try new food. I love coffee and hanging out in cool coffee shops. My ultimate passion is student ministry and teaching. I've been teaching a teen Bible class at my church for the past three years and I hope to continue working with high schoolers or college kids in the future! When it comes to my "home life," I tend to be a night owl, often staying up past midnight. But, I really like my sleep and even though I have to get up early right now because of work, if I get a chance to sleep in, I take it! My room tends to be fairly clean but never really spotless. When I'm at home, I'm usually more reserved and quiet. I like to have my alone-time to read, study, or write. I also like to cook and experiment with new ingredients and dishes. When it comes to others, I value honesty over every other virtue and really respect people who can tell me the truth even if it hurts. I would like to live in Washington Hall and am looking for an apartment-mate or even a roommate who I can be comfortable around and who shares some of the same interests. Hopefully that's you! Text me at (916)XXX-XXX if you are looking for a apartment-mate/roommate.

Replacing storm debris

I've definitely broke my promise to post something every week... Forgive me folks! I'd love to tell you a really fantastic excuse for not posting but I don't have one. Simply said, I haven't really had much to say. And I've been lazy.

That being said, for the past few weeks I've been in this weird funk. Even though life is going great (I've been celebrating my birthday all month!) it just seems like every morning when I wake up, I'm already tired. I go to bed and I'm still tired. Even after taking almost a whole week off to relax a little (one weekend in San Diego and the next weekend in Mendocino) it seems like I can't get rested. It's just this constant run, run, run, and do, do, do. The list of things to do never gets annihilated. It only seems to grow. With each item that gets crossed off, at least two more show up. It's a never ending cycle and I often feel like a hamster in a stationary wheel.

In addition to all of that, I make promises to myself that I cannot keep. I tell myself I'm going to go to sleep early today. Only to find myself climbing into bed well past midnight. I promise myself I'll wake up early to read the Bible before going to work and I end up hitting snooze 30 times. That's not even exaggerating. So what's going on? Why is it that the simple things in life cause our world to seem out of control?

I wish I knew. But I don't. All I know is I want to be lost in the embrace of my Father and just rest. Just find peace. So, this is my prayer this morning (in poetry form):

My soul is weary, yearning peace
There's nothing I can do
This boat is crumbling underneath
Splintering my bare feet

But Jesus, you are Prince of Peace
So calm this storm in me
just as you did in Galilee
When darkness, wind prevailed

Please call me into your embrace
Strengthen my feeble knees
That I may walk atop those waves
That aim to swallow me

I want to feel the gentle springs
Of living water flow
Deep into my thirsty soul
Replacing storm debris

Celebrating the Risen King!

I woke up this morning with these lyrics ringing in my ears: "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow!" Isn't that glorious? Because we have a king that is sovereign and eternal, we have no fear of the future. Jesus is risen! Yesterday, today and tomorrow, he remains the same. The "official holiday" is over but the news of his resurrection has no limits. Let us celebrate the risen King all year long!

Crazy enough to trust

About 6 months ago, I got this crazy idea to go to grad school at Dallas Theological Seminary. I say crazy because at the time it was just a distant dream - one that was too big to fathom. But, here I am registered for classes for my first semester. I still can't believe this is happening. It's still crazy.

Over the course of these past few months God has been teaching me a lot - everything from patience to humility to surrender. The biggest lesson has definitely been on trust, which goes hand in hand with surrender (my One Word Resolution for this year - more on that later).

Trusting God isn't something I'm good at. But, I'm not sure many people are. We tend to trust God for a little bit, then take matters into our own hands, and what do you know, we fail. We fail miserably. Yet, for some reason we do it all over again.

Take the Israelites for example. For a long time, I found the story of Moses freeing the Israelites from Egypt kind of weird. I mean, why would God send Moses to Egypt and then harden Pharaoh's heart? Ten times! Wouldn't it be much easier for God to soften Pharaoh's heart so that the Israelites could go free right away? Why the plagues? Why the back and forth charades? But, it seems like every time I read this story in the Bible, I missed the point.

God didn't harden Pharaoh's heart to teach him a lesson. God wasn't playing the role of a magician either. He wasn't displaying His power just for the fun of it. You see, while the Israelites were in slavery, they had become hopeless. They didn't see redemption on the horizon. And, they didn't know what it even meant to trust God. God was distant and silent, as far as they knew.

But the Israelites only saw their side of the story. They had no idea God was plotting their redemption all along. So, to teach His chosen people trust and total dependence in the desert, God had to prep them in Egypt. He displayed his omniscience and omnipotence so that their faith may be awakened and their trust renewed.

I've been watching the History channel Bible miniseries every
Sunday since it came out...  Definitely the inspiration for this blog post!

Imagine if this didn't happen. Imagine if Moses waltzed into Pharaoh's palace, shouted the famous "Let my people go!" and Pharaoh immediately melted in his presence, freeing the Israelites from their bondage. What would have been the reaction of the Israelites? Do you think they would have instantly developed trust in God?

The truth of the matter is that trust in God takes time. It is developed through trials, misunderstandings, pain, helplessness, confusion, and so much more. We know this is definitely true when we fast forward the story of Moses and the Israelites just a few chapters. We see that even all the miraculous wonders performed by God in Egypt were not enough to stifle the Israelites' grumbling against Him in the desert. They were not quick to learn. But the miracles sure helped. When the Israelites doubted God, they were able to look back and remember. It gave them a foundation for their trust in God.

This makes me think of my journey with God. When I look back on my life, I see how He has shown me His grace and mercy over and over again. I marvel at the way He used every experience in my life to bring me to the place I am in now. I look at where I am now and can't help but think of it as precise preparation for what is ahead.

God had a marvelous plan for the Israelites, even though they failed to see it. God has a marvelous plan for me, and I pray that I may see it. See it, not with physical eyes, but see it with my heart. See it by trusting God completely - fully confident that He is slowly leading me into the Promised Land. Now, that's crazy!

His Heart Trusts in Her

I came across a beautiful article this morning that I decided to share with all of you. It's from the March edition of Tabletalk Magazine, a ministry of R.C. Sproul. Read it here.

I've read a lot about the perfect Proverbs 31 woman. The woman who does it all and still manages to dress herself and her family in brilliant purple and scarlet. Men love her. Women want to be her.

But like many other women I've talked to, I've wondered, "How does she do it? Where does she find the time?" Some people claim that the Proverbs 31 woman is the "ideal" woman and not the realistic woman. They say being a Proverbs 31 woman is impossible. They say Proverbs 31 is simply poetry and it should remain as that.

Call me an idealist, but I believe otherwise. Yes, I'm not married nor do I have children. But, I believe that it is possible to be a Proverbs 31 kind of woman - married or not. What are the characteristics that set apart the Proverbs 31 woman? Taken directly from the above article, a Proverbs 31 woman is characterized by:

1. Her service
2. Her success
3. Her sacrifice
4. Her savvy
5. Her strength
6. Her supremacy
7. Her spirituality

In the article, the author writes that a wife possessing these strengths becomes one in whom her husband is able to confide in and trust. I agree with him. But, I want to add my own variation. I believe that as a single girl, it is possible to strive for and possess these same characteristics. In fact, I believe that working on these strengths as a single girl is the ingredient that makes it possible to be a Proverbs 31 wife in the future.

Young girls often think that marriage is the solution to all their problems. That as soon as they get married, they immediately become godly, wise and loving wives. They believe that things will miraculously fall into place. No more struggles. No more worries. Only love and romance. Sorry ladies, but reality check! If you are not a woman of noble character as a single girl, you will not be a woman of noble character as a married woman. Simple as that.

But you will say, how can I exhibit the strengths of a Proverbs 31 woman if I don't have a husband? How do I serve him, if I don't have a "him?" It's actually not very complicated. Think of all the men in your life. Your dad. Your grandpa. Your pastor. The guy leading your small group. Can you think of ways you can serve them? Be generous to them? Make their life easier? Maybe it's cooking dinner for your dad once a week. Maybe it's taking your grandpa to the doctors (and if you're Russian, translating for him!) Maybe it's clearing the table after a time of small group fellowship. Whatever you do, do it with joy and gladness without drawing attention to yourself. Do it in humility. The thing that sets apart the Proverbs 31 woman from other women is the spirit in which she does her work. Instead of demanding praise for herself, she looks to bring praise to her husband. The really neat thing is that when she does that, her husband comes back and praises her.  Win-win.

So ladies, whether you're single or married, let me encourage you to strive to be a Proverbs 31 woman. May this be true of you: "She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." Proverbs 31:12.

Highlights...

OK, I think I've broken my promise to post something on here every week. I sincerely apologize! I don't have a good excuse except that I've been pretty busy trying to figure out my life.

Here are some highlights from the last two weeks:

A few weeks ago, I got an email from DTS that I'm not qualified to receive any of their scholarships. That came as a hard blow. One of the big reasons I chose to go to seminary in Dallas was because DTS promised scholarships to "most" of their students. Apparently I didn't fit into the "most" criteria so therefore, I was out. Major bummer.

That's when I began exploring all my other grad school and seminary options. I looked into Biola University, Western Seminary, Azusa Pacific, Simpson College, Master's College and even Princeton Seminary. After spending a lot of time browsing through all their websites, attending a Biola dinner, and sitting in on a class at Western, I was back at square one. DTS was still my number one choice.

But, all that searching (and praying!) was not fruitless. I ended up changing my intended field of study from Media and Communication/Worship to Christian Education. And, on top of that, I decided I want to pursue a PhD once I'm done with my Masters. Yes, I realize this is a high and lofty ambition that will take years and years to accomplish, but I figured, hey why not? If I'm going to reach for the stars, might as well aim for the moon! My registration for DTS classes is this Thursday and I can't wait!

Visiting DTS in November last year

Chapel! 

Sitting in on a lecture class

Beautiful campus

The best example of humility... Love this so much!

Preach it!

The pretty DTS bookstore used to be an orthodox church!

Can't wait to go here in 5 months!

Another thing that I'm really excited about is my new role as an administrator/assistant for Missions Worldwide! I recently blogged about one of Mission Worldwide's outreach events, the Citywide Gospel Campaign. It was such a cool event and I'm really glad I got to be a part of it, even if it was a small part. Now, I'll be stepping into a bigger role, helping the guys plan events and just get more organized. The main reason I'm so excited about this new ministry opportunity is because we're already seeing the fruits of our labor. Because of the Citywide Gospel Campaign, there's a small group of people completely from the world who are now attending weekly Bible studies! God is doing His work and it's incredible being in the middle of it!

In other news, I am officially an auntie! My sister gave birth to a healthy, precious little boy 11 days ago. I fell in love with his sweet little face the moment he smiled at me in the hospital. How can anyone resist a face like this? He is going to be so spoiled.

Baby Noah

Auntie Inna holding Noah for the first time

Of course there were a million other things that happened during these past few weeks. But, alas that's it for now.