Overdressed

Lord, you have seen what is in my heart.
You know all about me.
You know when I sit down and when I get up.
You know what I’m thinking even though you are far away.


                             You know when I go out to work and when I come back home.                             You know exactly how I live.
                             Lord, even before I speak a word,
                             you know all about it.


You are all around me. You are behind me and in front of me.You hold me in your power.
I’m amazed at how well you know me.
It’s more than I can understand.

Psalm 139:1-6

 

     A trunk of dress up clothes waits for Addy in her room at my house.  She, like her mother and her Uncle Nick did, loves to put on costumes. She's going to be a cupcake, sprinkles and all for the Harvest celebration at their church. In the box there are superhero capes Nana made for Nick, an assortment of hats, a magic wand, gloves, beads, a fireman's jacket, apron, and a safari shirt and binoculars, among other items. Addy will be able to imagine being whomever she likes.

 

     I've noticed God's people, including me, like to play dress up. When we're growing in Him we're front and center, hearts open and fertile to receive the seeds of transformation in His Word.  We're authentic in our search, about our needs, and when it comes to admitting fault. But when our attitudes slip into apathy or anger or the fear of being discovered as hypocrites, we hunt down the dress up trunk and throw on something to give the "right" impression:

We throw on a cape and do something good in a big way;

We add bling by tossing extra coins into the collection plate;

We stack on another hat, put on an apron, and serve more people in more ways;

We might even pull out the binoculars and start hunting for specks in the character of another believer.

 

When our costumes fail to cover what we want to hide, we move to phase two: we slide into "fellowship" at the last minute and slip away as soon as possible. We escape before one of our brothers or sisters in Christ sees our lack, our need, our frailty, our sin.  Now if even I, one of the dull bulbs in the chandelier, can see this pattern and sense something's wrong, then none of us (God's people) are too bright if we think we can dodge God's all-seeing eyes. 

 

What's the answer? Authenticity - with both God and His people. We learn to relax in God's Presence and accept His acceptance. We relax inthe warm bath of His love for us in spite of our imperfections and sin. We remove the dress up clothes and admit our faults and sins to each other as the first step in living accountable lives. Acceptance and authenticity, authenticity and acceptance: gifts God gives us and we learn to give one another. 

 

"the LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

Exodus 33:14

Saturday, January 28, 2012 - Pain in the Heart

What would Jesus' heart look like
if it reflected all the hurts He's felt at my hands?

      No one can make Jesus look bad. Even the secular world recognizes Jesus can't look bad: He was too right, too good, too perfect, too "on target" with what the world needs.  I've seen people try to desecrate Jesus by dipping Him artistically in urine or by publishing satirical cartoons of Him but these attempts backfire. Unfortunately, we don't have to think long to come up with multiple examples of Christians making Christians look bad, and whether or not we like to admit it, we too, deserve the name "hypocrite." 
     We can't make Jesus "look bad," praise God, but we sure seem bent on hurting Him. We push Him away every time we let personal pride rule, whether it's in the form of self-promotion or wearing our feelings on our sleeves.  We pierce His heart when we stand on stubbornness instead of righteousness.  Our self-centeredness slaps at His sacrifice because He died to make us one with Him, yet we pull at this sacred "oneness" with a fierce determination to be independent of Him again. We hurt His loving heart each time we ignore someone's need, verbally attack another person, give up on someone, shut out the lonely, or blow past the hurting in our hurry to have more, be more and do more. Take Saul, for instance:

"Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"  

Acts 26:14

Or King David

"For the sake of Your Name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great." 

Psalm 25:11

"Against You, You only have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, 

so that you are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge."  

Psalm 51:4

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." 

Psalm 51:10 

Jesus made it clear how we can bring Him joy instead of heartache:

"I tell you the truth, 

whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, 

you did for Me." 

Matthew 25:40

Lord Jesus, forgive us for habitually hurting You with our secret or ingrained selfish sins.  Cleanse us from them.  Help us make complete unity with You our top goal. Sensitize our hearts so we're repelled by any attitudes that cause You pain and anguish.  Soften our hearts toward other people, remembering that whatever we do for them we're doing for You.  Change our destructive habits to encouraging ones.  Change our hearts, O God, to be solely concerned with what concerns You.  May we be consumed with finding and helping the "least of these" instead of pumping our egos and importance. Help us bring Joy to Your heart today.
In the Name of Jesus, One with the Father, One with us,