July 19: The Sacred and the Secular

"Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5 NKJV)

There are certain places you visit on earth where you are overwhelmed with a sense of awe and of God's presence. For example, many  visitors to Israel who walk  through the various places mentioned in scriptures testify of a sense of awe and sacredness that come with such places. Also church grounds, worship services and gathering of believers are seen as symbols of the sacred. 

However, there are certain other places no one easily associates with sacredness. Few go to work and burst out in worship at the awesome holiness of God saturating their work facilities and offices. No one visits the penitentiary, the pubs or bars and ever think in terms of how holy such places are. 

As a result of this, we have created neat labels of distinction. We call one the sacred and the other, secular. We see the sacred as the home of spirituality and the secular, the place of sensuality. We view the sacred as the abode of faith and the secular is the arena of facts; the sacred as the place of worship and the secular as the place of workmanship. The former is seen as the abode of religion and the latter, the topography of reason.  

But these distinctions are man-made. Very often in Scriptures we see God blurring the line between the "sacred" and the "secular." Really to Him, there is no line. Every place on earth can become Holy Ground. That was His original intention before the fall. That is why He made appearances and visited men and women in many ordinary places such as in our text today. Moses received a visitation of God at work, in exile, in the wilderness.

 In other places, God met people at the well, He inspired many portions of the Holy scriptures in prisons. He chose to be born in a manger, to be friends with sinners and crucified in a place no one identified with sacredness, Golgotha the place of skulls.

We should also stop the distinction and remove the dividing line. Because you are the temple of the Holy Spirit, everywhere you go and everything you do irrespective of their natures become sacred. As a living stone of spiritual worship, your presence should turn ordinary places into holy spots where God should be honored. 

So as you go about doing your work today, no matter how unspiritual it may seem and as you visit certain places today in your line of duty, no matter how devoid of God they may feel, remember that, just as all it takes to make a thing wet is the presence of water,  all it takes to make a spot sacred is the presence of God and that great God calls you His temple.


Decision of the Day

I understand that with God there is no division between the secular and the sacred. He wants to fill the whole earth with His presence. He wants everywhere to become Holy Spots and that is why He has granted me access to the places I frequent and do the things I do. I will remain aware of this today. I will put the touch of sacredness on everything I do and everyone I meet. As His temple, I will extend the perimeters of His holy presence wherever I find myself.