Set Apart

Have you ever been giddy over God?  That is how I would describe that last couple of weeks for me.  Although I can't say that life has been 'great', I almost haven't noticed.  Let me explain.  I was confused a few weeks ago; it seemed as if I was no different than those around me.  This is no entirely bad except that through Jesus Christ we are transformed (aka. making us different).  I want to look like a sheep and be a sheep among the goats.  So I prayed a scary prayer: "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." (Psalm 139:23-24)  I prayed before I realized what I had just done. Suddenly God started bringing things to mind.  Things that I was letting stay in my life and heart that were not holy and pleasing to God.  Some were easy to get rid of in my life, I just never realized they were there.  But others, deeper down, I knew of and didn't want to touch.  When it came to these certain things, I honestly didn't want to obey God.  I began to hear the voice of Satan say, "Did God really say..."  However, God gave me strength beyond I could imagine to obey Him.  One of these hard things to get rid of was going to Prom.  Please don't get me wrong, I'm not condemning Prom, but in my own life God said it wasn't necessary.  He said to me: "If you truly want to know me more, why would you spend a night selfishly."  What?  What about having fun?  This might seem really strange, but God showed me that it is so much more fulfilling to spend the time with Him.  This decision has brought criticism towards me, even from those who are older and I believe wiser than me.  It really hurt, but I honestly became even more happy, purely from obeying God. 

These strange things that God was showing seemed to be perfect, but I was getting no confirmation from other places.  I know I didn't need this, but I was really confused that God was doing this in my heart and many other Christians were looking at me strange.  A great friend of mine shared a book with me before this happened but I hadn't had a chance to read it yet.  The crazy thing was that as I was coming up with these why questions, I started to read that book titled Set-Apart Femininity by Leslie Ludy.  In this book, she addressed that in order to live the way that our Father God designed we must be set apart women who have given everything up in order to live sold out for Christ.  I was the perfect confirmation.  What is even more special about this situation is that God taught me this first, humans did not.  So through obedience and striving to live a set apart life I have become giddy over my Heavenly Father!  Do you want to be set apart too?  God desires it.