“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (NKJV)
As Jesus followers, there are no “off limit” areas of our lives from the work of God in us. There is no separation between spiritual life and everything else, as much as many of us have tried to make it that way. We may compartmentalize in our minds in hopes of justifying some control, however the life of a disciple of Jesus, is one of continuous surrender.
God desires to make us holy through and through. In every nook and cranny of our thought life. With every word that we speak. Every action we take. Our entire being takes an active role in being sanctified. Spirit, soul and body. While this may appear daunting on the surface, it’s God’s role to do the chipping away. Our role is to surrender, which isn’t always easy when we desire to control, but necessary none the less. If we believe He is who He says He is, and that His ways are better than ours… shouldn’t we trust Him with the process?
I love that as God sanctifies us, we’re reminded through Paul’s letter to the church in Thessalonica that God is peace. It doesn’t always feel peaceful to let go of something we’ve wanted or craved in our lives. It doesn’t always feel peaceful to rid ourselves of language, thoughts, relationships, that aren’t God’s best for us. But when we’ve followed His ways, and surrendered to His plan for us, peace is a promise that always comes. Also, peace seems to appear quicker when we willingly surrender, than when we go kicking and screaming.
As we meditate on this verse today, let’s declare that our spirit, soul and body will enter into the process of becoming whole, just as God has said. May we be ready to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading, and desire to live lives that are consecrated to the Lord. May we trust Him as He speaks to us. Humble ourselves to listen. And may we rest in the peace that God alone can give us, until the day where we see Him face to face. Amen!
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