Bling Bling

June 8, 2009

“So do not fear, for I am the Lord your God, do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

As I am writing and reading this, I am humbled and comforted by these words from God, reason being is that I have felt pretty crummy before the Lord today (God knows why) and I have been debating whether to write this because I don’t feel “spiritual enough.” That’s just it. . . I will never be enough to God, at least by my own means. I admit that even as a follower of Jesus Christ, the old self, with all its impurity and vileness resurfaces in a disguise that can camouflage and fool even mature Christians, it is religious piety. In an effort to be enough before the King, we can resort to immersing zealously in doing Christianity instead of simply being like the one we claim to follow.

On Wednesday of last week, the Lord gave me a very interesting dream that I quite didn’t understand until now. I was in a country where its religion permeates every sector of its culture and society, in fact their cultural identity is tied to its strict religious traditions. I was a spectator in what looked like a parade. I then saw a float covered with Christian iconography and décor. Beautiful gold frames encased pictures of Christ along with vibrant red drapery and somber candles. As I saw the float go by my heart ached with sadness as this country witnessed a representation of Christianity that was covered in religiosity. You see this isn’t a discourse on denominational criticism but rather a revelation of the pride I succumb to when my eyes are on myself rather than the King. I can turn even the gifts that the Lord has graciously lavished on me into prideful spiritual bling-bling that shows off what a “great” Christian I am. In days like today, when I fall flat on my face, He graciously reminds me that I will be upheld by His righteousness rather than my own, by His strength not by my piety. I am humbled and relieved.