The Last Self Help “Book” You’ll Ever Need

I keep finding myself looking at my shortcomings: I don’t pray like I should. I’ve not been engaged in my Bible study as I once was. My mind drifts during service. My mind drifts during the singing.

I keep coming to the place where I see my shortcomings and it sickens me. “Lord, help me!” “Lord, change me.” Immediately, my mind turns to something – notice I didn’t say Someone – for further assistance. We’ve been taught, and taught wrongly, that whatever you suffer from, there is a book for that. But think about it for a moment, what do you need help with today? Is it your marriage? Your Bible study growing cold? Need a boost to get yourself to church on a weekly basis? Has your prayer life died? Need to be reminded to witness? Looking for courage to speak up for righteousness? There’s a book for each and every topic. And you know what, we’re quick to reach for them.

“Teach me how to be a better me.” “Teach me how to pray.” “Show me where to find the will to witness.” “Give me a 5-step plan for going to church.” “Give me something powerful that I can take to my boring Bible studies so that I’ll actually do them.” Are you ready to throw away the books? I’ll give you what you need right here for free. Ready?

“I the Lord your God am holy.”

You see, we’ve been deceived. We’ve been told that our problem is because of our spouse, or our busy schedules, or because we’re tongue tied. But the truth is, each and every one of these situations stems back to a heart problem. We’ve stopped believing, or focusing, on God’s holiness. We’ve lost sight of what that means. We don’t sing like He’s holy anymore. We don’t approach His word like He’s holy. We stop witnessing to the lost because we forget they will one day meet a holy God. We forgot that our service should come from love and devotion.

For those of us that bothered to show up to church last Sunday (and I’m not talking to the sickies that couldn’t help themselves) but for those of us that checked it off our list, did we sing like He was holy? Or did we sing because we liked the song or because it was expected of us? When you opened your Bible this week, did you do it out of habit or because He is holy? Did you expect to learn from the Holy One? Or where you just checking that off your list too? Did you rush through your tired prayer out of habit or guilt? Or were you communicating with the Holy God?

Over the last few weeks, as I’ve racked my brain for a good book that will point me in the right direction, the Spirit spoke to my heart and reminded me, “I am holy.” “I am holy.” “I am holy.”

Again, and again, and again until I finally got it. You see, in each and every one of these situations, we don’t need a book, we simply need to remember that Jesus is holy. If that is not enough to motivate you to worship, pray, study, witness, and love your neighbor as yourself, then I suggest you revisit your salvation. Everyone that carries the Spirit within them should be broken by the simple words, “I the Lord your God am holy.”