Growing In Holiness
BRD REFLECTIONS:
Leviticus 18, 19 and Psalm 89:1-29 (NIV)
(Loke Ai Mei, Director COSC)
READ:
Leviticus 19:14 & Leviticus 19:32 (NIV)
OBSERVE:
Israel is commanded to obey the laws of God as Moses instructs the community on how to live holy lives. God repeatedly declares He is Israel’s God and He is holy. As such, His covenantal people must strive toward godliness and live holy lives.
An extensive list of expected behaviours and attitudes is presented to the people of God that they must submit to in order to grow in His likeness, walk right and show reverence of the Holy One of Israel. The instructions put the spotlight on godly respect for one’s parents, the sabbath, rejecting the worship of idols / pagan practices, the making of peace offerings, loving kindness towards one another, honest living, and no exploitation of others.
APPLY:
The fear of God is the motivation for obedience and holiness as God desires I, His child, grow in purity of heart and mind. The two verses, specifically mentioning the deaf, blind and the aged, stood out for me. In the pursuit of holiness, He commands that I treat the blind and the deaf kindly. I should not take advantage of others and see their disabilities as weakness. For example, to talk negatively in the presence of the deaf, knowing well that they cannot hear me. This is sinful before God and hurtful to the deaf. This is closely related to Leviticus 19:16, which instructs us not to spread lies and gossip. We have a deaf congregation in church and serving with the deaf is an opportunity for me to grow patience, unconditional love, and acceptance.
Reverence for the aged is the second reflection. Elderly persons have immense experience and wisdom about life, and I must honor them. In my home visits with the elderly, I struggle with listening to their repeated stories for umpteen times. I get a little impatient when the story continues for more than 30 minutes especially when there is poor ventilation, and it gets very hot. God commands that I honor the elderly, and this means, instead of interrupting them, I choose to see their resilience and life experiences, to learn from them.
DO:
1. Exercise honest conversations with the deaf community and embrace the truth that everyone is unique and created in the image of God. Seek to learn from them and not think I knew better.
2. Be teachable, patient, and slow to speak when in the presence of the elderly. Continue to visit and support them even if I feel inadequate to communicate in some dialects. Ask sincere questions if I do not understand them. Pray for them.
PRAY:
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for the opportunity to meditate on Leviticus 19. Help me to grow in holiness that is pleasing to You. Guide me as I seek to love others, to be considerate, kind, and compassionate. Let my life not be just about me but use me to reveal Your love to others. Renew my heart with a determination and courage to act and live the way of true holiness. Give me the grace and the strength of the Holy Spirit to pursue a life in reverence of You and in gratitude for all You have done. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
