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I’m not going to lie—I used to run from the word holy. It scared me. Holiness, to me, felt like some impossible standard of perfection that only a select few could attain—those “Mary Amaka” types (for my Nigerians, you know what I mean). I thought holiness meant being a goody two-shoes, a religious rule-follower, the kind of person who never had fun. Holiness? That wasn’t for me. I was too flawed, too messy, too… human. See , I lived a double life. Sunday morning, I was in church, hands lifted, singing Jesus is my Savior. But by Friday night? I was deep in the mix—partying, gossiping, entertaining sin like it was my best friend. I downplayed holiness because, honestly, I didn’t understand it fully. But once I started to read my Bible. And slowly, I realized something—holiness isn’t perfection; it’s being set apart. Holiness Is Not an Option—It’s a Command “Be holy, for I am holy.” —1 Peter 1:16 Notice how that verse doesn’t say “try” to be holy. It doesn’t say “if you feel like it” be holy. It says BE HOLY—straight up, no negotiations. Holiness is the standard because Jesus is the standard. We are made in His image, and if He is holy, then we ought to be holy too. At first, that scared me. But the more I walked with God, the more I realized that holiness isn’t about performing or pretending. It’s about choosing God’s ways over the world’s ways in every area of life—what you watch, what you listen to, how you speak, how you treat people, how you run your business, how you handle your emotions. Holiness is saying yes to God, even when it’s inconvenient or unpopular. Holiness Is Not Just About Sexual Purity Let’s be real—when most people hear “holiness,” their minds immediately go to don’t have sex before marriage, don’t watch porn, don’t be lustful. And yes, that’s part of it. But holiness is so much deeper. Paul tells us in Romans 12:1: “I appeal to you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Our whole lives are meant to be lived in holiness—including how we care for our physical bodies. Some of us don’t struggle with sexual immorality, but we are completely reckless with our health. We consume junk, don’t exercise, and then pray for long life—make it make sense! Look at Daniel—when he was in Babylon, he refused to eat the king’s rich food and chose a simple diet of vegetables and water. After ten days, he and his friends looked stronger and healthier than the others (Daniel 1:8-14). Daniel’s choice was an act of holiness—he set himself apart even in his diet. What we consume physically matters. This hit me hard because, truth be told, I’ve neglected my own health at times. But holiness is holistic—it’s about honoring God in every part of life, including what we put in our bodies. Holiness in How We Handle Our Emotions Another area we don’t often talk about? Let’s be real—people do dumb things. And sometimes, you have every right to be angry. But Ephesians 4:26-27 reminds us: “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” Holiness is choosing the way of the Word of God over the way of your feelings. You might feel like holding onto that grudge, staying bitter, or exploding in rage. But holiness says, “I’ll forgive when I don’t feel like it.” Your Eye Gate—What Are You Watching? I used to be a TV show addict. I prided myself on knowing every trending show. I thought, It’s just entertainment, it’s not that deep. I was consuming hours of entertainment filled with lust, violence, rebellion, witchcraft, and godless values. And I didn’t see a problem. Then, God convicted me. Matthew 6:22 says: “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.” Holiness means being set apart even in what we watch. If we constantly feed ourselves unclean content, we can’t expect to be full of light. What we consume shapes our thoughts, desires, and actions . At first, I struggled. My “taste buds” were so used to worldly entertainment that Godly content felt boring. But over time, God changed my appetite. Now, I crave things that align with Him. Grace Empowers Us To Be Holy Here’s the key—holiness isn’t about striving in our own strength. It’s about leaning on grace. “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness.” —Romans 6:22 Grace is not a license to live however we want and say, God knows my heart. No! Grace empowers us to live holy. Jesus didn’t just save us from sin; He saved us into a new way of life. Final Charge: Live Set Apart Holiness is not just for pastors, church leaders, or “super spiritual” people. It’s for everyone who calls Jesus Lord. Holiness is not just about the “big sins”—it’s about everyday choices. It’s about: ✔ How you think ✔ How you speak ✔ How you treat others ✔ How you use your time ✔ What you watch, listen to, and engage in It’s about choosing God’s ways over culture’s trends or worldly values. So, I leave you with this challenge: Be holy. Be set apart.  In your thoughts, your habits, your relationships, your daily decisions.. Holiness is not just a Sunday thing—it’s a lifestyle. And the beautiful thing? As we walk in holiness, we experience more of God’s power, grace, and presence in our lives. So, will you answer the call? Will you choose holiness today?

Welcome back to part two of our deep dive into idolatry! If you haven’t read the first part, I highly recommend going back to catch up before diving in. Trust me, it’ll give you the full context. But if you’re here, let’s get right into it. As I mentioned before, idolatry is one of the sneakiest sins we face as believers. It’s not always obvious, and for many of us, it’s not even something we’re aware of because it wasn’t emphasized enough in the foundation of our faith. Most Christians today rely on being spoon-fed the Word instead of diving into the Bible to understand the heart of God for themselves. Let me be blunt: many Christians are spiritually illiterate. We don’t study the Bible with the same intensity we’d study for a test or an important goal. Instead, we skate through our spiritual lives, letting emotions guide us, mistaking feelings for discernment. That’s why many of us struggle to grasp deep teachings or recognize the idols in our lives. We’ve become too comfortable drinking milk when we should be craving meat (Hebrews 5:12-14). I know this might sting, but Proverbs 27:5 says, “Better is open rebuke than hidden love.” This isn’t judgment; it’s love. Growth doesn’t happen in comfort zones—it happens when we face hard truths. So, in the spirit of love and honesty, let me share two personal examples of idols God exposed and delivered me from: music and shopping. 1. Music: My Escape, My Obsession, My Idol Anyone who knows me knows I love music. Not just a little—I’m talking hardcore devotion. I could tell you the history of genres, name-drop artists from different eras, and recite lyrics like scripture. Music was my answer to everything. Sad? Music. Happy? Music. Working out? Music. Sitting around? You guessed it—music. But here’s the problem: instead of turning to God in prayer or seeking His presence, I turned to music to fill every emotional gap. I spent hours listening to music but barely gave God 15 minutes of my day. I claimed the Lord was King, even had Bible verses on my Instagram, but my actions screamed otherwise. The content of the music was another issue. I was a die-hard hip-hop fan—Nas, J. Cole, Drake, Lupe Fiasco—you name it. I was obsessed, not in a fangirl way, but in a “this feeds my soul” way. Yet, as God convicted me, I realized the lyrics I consumed promoted things that gratify the flesh: fornication, lust, materialism, and pride. Galatians 6:7-8 couldn’t be clearer: “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption.” Even worse, music became a tool for sin in my life. Before engaging in sexual acts, I’d turn to “baby-making” music to set the mood. Those lyrics and melodies fueled desires that led me further from God. How could I claim to follow Christ while filling my mind with things that glorified sin? The turning point came when God revealed the stronghold music had over my life. I had to surrender it completely—not just the time I spent on it but the content I allowed into my spirit. It wasn’t easy, but Matthew 16:24-25 reminded me, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” I had to let go of the idol of music to truly follow Him. 2. Shopping: My “Innocent” Obsession Let’s talk about shopping. If music was my emotional escape, shopping was my guilty pleasure. I loved buying new things—clothes, shoes, you name it. My closet was full of items with tags still on them because I was always “preparing” for the next event. At first, I didn’t think much of it. Shopping felt harmless. But as I grew closer to God, He started convicting me. I realized I was spending hours browsing websites, searching for the perfect outfit, while barely spending any time in prayer or reading the Word. Then came the financial conviction. When I reviewed my spending, I saw that shopping was my biggest expense—even more than giving to the poor or advancing God’s kingdom. Yes, I was a faithful tither, but my spending habits revealed where my heart truly was. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:21: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Shopping wasn’t just consuming my time—it was consuming my heart. My spending habits revealed where my heart truly was—on myself, not on God. How God Transformed Me God, in His endless grace, helped me lay down these idols at His feet. When it came to music, I hit pause on songs that didn’t lift Him high and started soaking my spirit in worship. Let me tell you, there’s nothing like filling your spirit with songs that pull you into His presence—it’s life-changing! And shopping? Whew, that one hit deep. I had to check my heart and set some serious boundaries. I decided my time with God would always outweigh my time shopping—no contest. I even embraced seasons of no shopping altogether to train my heart to desire Him more. Instead of indulging in more stuff , I began redirecting my resources. Proverbs 19:17 became my compass: "Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord." This changed the game for me. Giving to the poor and investing in God’s kingdom took first place in my finances. Shopping? That got bumped way down the priority list. Because let’s be real—what we give the most of our time, treasure, and attention reveals what sits on the throne of our hearts. It’s not about never enjoying things—it’s about making sure He  is always first. What’s taking precedence in your life? Idols don’t always look like golden statues or blatant sins. They can be things as subtle as music, shopping, or even relationships. Anything that takes more of your heart, time, or devotion than God is an idol. What Are Your Idols? Maybe your idol isn’t music or shopping. It could be video games, sports, your career, or even good things like marriage or children. Yes, even God’s gifts can become idols if we worship them more than the Giver. I challenge you to take a hard look at your life. What’s stealing your time, attention, and devotion from God? Ask Him to reveal the idols in your heart and give you the grace to surrender them. Remember, true growth and transformation come when we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him wholeheartedly. God doesn’t expose our idols to condemn us—He does it to free us. Let this be your wake-up call to lay down every idol and give Him your whole heart.