By Karen Friday

Sometimes we misunderstand what set apart means for women who desire God.

Because the purpose in being set apart in the first place is to be set to something else. Biblically speaking, something else is desiring what God desires for us. And it means desiring someone else—God.

10 Ways God Desires You to Be Set Apart

Here are 10 ways God desires to set us apart from that each help us to desire him.

1. God desires to set us apart from other gods.

Even after we realize God is the one true God, we still struggle with letting him reign supreme in our lives. Other gods are anything or anyone that takes the Lord’s place in our heart—even “me.”

2. God desires to set us apart from religion. 

When the Lord sets us apart from the rules and regulations of doing to obtain salvation, we are free to just being in him. This sets us to a deep and intimate relationship with the God of the universe. 

3. God desires to set us apart from culture. 

God never meant for us to look to humans (including ourselves) for how to live and make important life decisions. People operate in the natural while God operates in the supernatural. God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). 

4. God desires to set us apart from lies.

The enemy of our souls, Satan, capitalizes on falsehood spoken over our lives. He makes sure lies are spoken to our hearts and minds daily to keep us from the truth. But God is Truth; the Holy Scriptures are Truth; Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).

5. God desires to set us apart from unforgiveness.

God’s people are called to forgiveness as we have been forgiven by God through the blood of Jesus Christ. God gives us the power and ability to truly and fully forgive. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 (ESV)

6. God desires to set us apart from hatred.

There’s a lot of hate in the world. There are plenty of reasons to harbor hatred against those different from us, those with opposite opinions, and those who seem unlovable. Yet, what really sets us apart as women who desire God is love. 

7. God desires to set us apart from unrighteousness. 

Unrighteousness is the exact opposite of God’s holiness. God sets us apart from unrighteousness to set us to holy living according to God’s Word. This only comes through Christ living in us. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

8. God desires to set us apart from condemnation.

People, the enemy, and our own hearts often condemn us. But condemnation is not of God. Instead, the Lord frees us from a condemning spirit by convicting us of sin and giving us a clean slate after repenting. 

9. God desires to set us apart from unbelief.

We were created to believe in who God is and what God does—He is all powerful and able to do anything. But due to a fallen world, we learned to doubt and question real faith in a real God. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

10.   God desires to set us apart from death.

Praise God! He separated us from spiritual death, giving us eternal life! So, we live differently as God’s daughters knowing in him we have new life, abundant life, and everlasting life. 

Wife Step: Ask and pray how you can focus on living as a set-apart woman who desires God above all else. 

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