Being Set Apart

My current season of life is always busy, sometimes overwhelming, and often exhausting. Walking alongside my dad as we care for my mom who is now in hospice, has been one of the hardest things I’ve faced. This weekend, we will celebrate our

middle son’s graduation from our homeschool, and in a couple of weeks we’ll send him off to the mountains for a summer of adventure guiding whitewater rafting trips. Our youngest son has recently gotten his license and is enjoying the newfound freedom that

comes with that milestone. Meanwhile at home, my husband and I are learning a new “normal” and the daily demands of life just keep coming. In the middle of all of this, the Lord has been teaching me what it really means to be “set apart.”

Many times folks think being set apart is a separation from the messiness of the world,

or appearing more righteous or holy. However, in this season, I’ve found that being set

apart isn’t about avoiding trials or maintaining outward appearances. It’s about

surrendering to God no matter what life brings.

I’m not set apart because life is easy or because I have everything pulled together. I’m

set apart because of how God is leading and holding me as I walk through this season.

He graciously gives me unexplainable peace and sustaining hope every day. He equips

me as each new circumstance arises. He never leaves me. Being set apart doesn’t just happen automatically…boy, I wish it did! It is a daily surrender. It’s choosing, day by day, hour by hour, and sometimes even minute by minute, to trust Him even when life is filled with uncertainty, grief, transition, and responsibility. Living a life that is set apart isn’t about dodging life’s challenges. It is acknowledging His presence, depending on His strength, and standing on His promises when the hard things come. The Lord uses every situation, even those that feel hard or unseen, to strengthen my faith and draw me closer to Him.

Being set apart can look like faithfully caring for a sick

loved one while holding onto hope.

Lamentations 3:21-24

Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s faithful love we

do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your

faithfulness! I say, "The LORD is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in him."

Being set apart can look like launching your

teens into their next seasons with peace.

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You,

because he trusts in You.

Being set apart can look like walking through life’s daily demands and seasons of

difficulty and change, trusting that He will equip you.

Hebrews 13:20-21

Now may the God of peace…equip you with everything good to do his will, working in

us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ,

to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Set apart often looks less like standing on a mountaintop and more like kneeling in the

ordinary or lying face down in the valley, trusting that God is at work there, too. It looks

like choosing faith when fear feels easier, choosing peace when anxiety feels normal,

and choosing surrender when the future feels unknown. These moments of choosing

may seem small, but God uses them to refine us and help us become women who walk

boldly in His peace and faithfulness no matter what we face. Whether walking through

grief, navigating change, or managing the ordinary demands of life, God is faithful to

meet us wherever we are. When we anchor our hearts and minds in God and His

Word, even the hardest seasons can become holy ground. I pray we become women who are set apart, not by avoiding challenges, but by acknowledging and surrendering to God’s faithful presence in the midst of them.

Prayer Points:

~ God, help me to lean into your presence no matter my circumstances.

~ Lord, help me anchor my heart and mind in the truth of your Word.

~ Father, thank you for the hope, peace, and equipping you promise us.

Father God, I praise You for who You are! You are the only one worthy of all my praise.

As I go through my days, please help me lean into Your presence and anchor my heart

and mind on You. Forgive me when I lose my way and lean on my own understanding

instead of Your truth. Thank you for Your Word and the truth and comfort it provides.

Bring to my mind the promises that You have given me, so I might cling to them. Thank

You for providing a way for me to live “set apart” in You. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

In His love,

Jennifer Sloan

Flourish Women's Ministry

Mid-Way Baptist Church