When Holiness Doesn’t Look the Part

Some of the deepest wounds I’ve had to heal from came not from the world—but from within the Church.

As someone recently said, “sheep bite.” And it’s true. They do. And it hurts.

And yet, some of the most honest, healing, Spirit-filled conversations I’ve ever had were not with those who looked the part of holiness—but with the broken. The weary. The cracked jars of clay that let God’s light shine through (2 Corinthians 4:7). These are the people who don’t pretend. Who know what it means to wrestle. Who live Philippians 2:12 daily, working out their salvation with trembling honesty.

And it makes me think of Elisha.

The prophet died, and like most of us, his body was buried. His flesh decomposed. Bones remained. But in those boneswas something sacred:

“²⁰ So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. ²¹ And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.—2 Kings 13:20–21 (ESV)

Elisha was so deeply soaked in the presence of God that even in death, his very bones carried the anointing. That’s holiness. And it had nothing to do with appearance.

It reminds me: it’s not about what we look like—but Who resides within.

This is holiness—and it’s not even about us. Elisha was so simmered in with the Lord that, in his very essence, there stood the anointing of the Lord. Even when Elisha himself was gone, in his bones was still the power of God!

You see, it’s not what we look like—bones or not—it’s who resides within.

I think of Mary. A young girl, pregnant before she was married. This is not a holy look. But indeed, she was literally pregnant with the Messiah.

I think of John the Baptist. In Matthew 3, he is described as wearing clothes made from camel’s hair, eating locusts and wild honey, and living in the wilderness. I don’t think he looked… or smelled holy. lol Yet—his words carried truth. He prepared the way of the Messiah!

Jesus Himself! He was so criticized for not looking holy either. A simple man, from a simple background. At least to the undiscerning eye. He looked so less than compared to the high-quality “splendor” of the high spiritual leaders of the time. Yet Jesus called them whitewashed tombs.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23‬:‭27‬-‭28‬ ‭ESV‬‬

You see—the deepest desire of my life is not to look holy to others, but to be holy in the eyes of the Lord.

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.””‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

To be holy is a posture of seeking after the Lord. To let Him mold you as the potter molds the clay. To follow in His ways. To be set apart in order to truly have time to be with the Lord and not be distracted by the world. To show kindness. To truly abide in Him (John‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭4‬-‭11‬, ‭15‬ ‭ESV).

Reflection Corner

• Do I sometimes judge others—or myself—based on appearances of holiness rather than the fruits of the Spirit?

• Have I experienced spiritual hurt from those who looked holy but lacked Christlike love? What healing still needs to take place?

• Am I more focused on looking holy or being holy—set apart, abiding, and surrendered before the Lord?

Practical Takeaways

• Abide Daily: Spend time in John 15 this week. Reflect on what it means to stay connected to the Vine—and ask the Lord to prune anything that doesn’t bear fruit.

• Fruit Check: Use Galatians 5:22–23 as a heart inventory. Ask: Am I growing in love, joy, peace, patience… or just looking like I have it all together?

• Seek Healing: If church hurt lingers, talk with God about it. Journal it. Bring it into the light. Healing begins with honesty.

• Honor the Hidden: Affirm the faithful, unseen saints in your life—the quiet ones bearing much fruit behind the scenes.

May we not settle for whitewashed tombs, but pursue the kind of holiness that moves mountains—even after we’re gone. May we live lives so saturated with Jesus that when the world touches us, it can’t help but find life.

Shalom & Grace,

Lis