We have heard people use the word holy in profanity. We see the word on almost every copy of the Bible. For some reason, Bible publishers brand the book, "Holy Bible." The Bible is holy because it is the Word of Almighty God, but what does holy mean?

For some of us, holy is something extreme or radical. We hear the phrase "holy war," or we think of living in a monastery with vows of poverty, silence, or something else we consider to be "far out."

To begin to understand what holy means, we must first consider God. He is other. He is not like us. He is higher (Isaiah 55:8-9). God does not think like we think; He does not do like we do. That higher form of thought and action is what holy is.

We could just pass it off and say God is holy because He is God, and I am not holy because I am not God. If we did that (and some of us do), we would be neglecting a very clear command in the Holy Scriptures: "Be holy, because I am holy" (1 Peter 1:15).

Since God is holy and He tells us to be holy, we had better get some practical handles on holiness so we can honor and glorify Almighty God.

Holiness is generally associated with extreme living. However, true biblical holiness is as practical as being family. Family means identity. Family means loyalty. Family means giving of yourself for the good of the whole.

To be holy means to do right. Opportunities to cheat come every day. A holy person does not cheat.

To be holy means to be truthful. Lying is as natural to many as breathing. We exaggerate, misrepresent, or just outright lie, when telling the truth is much easier. Holiness is honesty.

Holiness is elevating God in our minds and recognizing that He fills the earth and knows our every thought (Psalm 139:2). Holy living can be as simple as asking ourselves what God wants us to do before we do it. Just before we consider losing our temper, passing along some piece of malicious gossip, or possibly saying a cuss word, stopping to think, "Will this honor God?"

Holiness is not taking that second look at something we should not see, and pushing that thought out of our mind before it turns into harmful fantasy.

Holiness is letting go of the grudge and forgiving like God forgives us (Luke 11:4). Holiness is charity, sharing what we have with those who have need.

To be holy is to recognize that God exists and that He will reward those who look for Him in every facet of life (Hebrews 11:6).

Being holy is not easy. It is a continual practice of choosing against our natural inclinations and choosing to honor God in thought, word, and deed.

Start in the area of your life where a particular practice is really shameful or troubling to you. Ask God to help you. God will give grace to His children when they ask.

Being holy is a process, and that process, like a journey, begins with the first step.