What’s REALLY in-season right now? I mean beyond squash, pumpkin treats and early thoughts of Thanksgiving. Even beyond fashion forward trends, heavy makeup and the underlying aim of an unrealistic aesthetic causing women to go under-cover-crazy. Think past food fads and politics, beyond the social media craze and what kind of boots women are wearing.
As a start, uncovering what’s in style this season we can certainly say what’s mind-numbingly NOT: Following our Savior, Jesus Christ, falls low on the list of today’s popular flair. Christianity, now a counter-cultural trend, seems to criticize our society’s reasoning, leaving a mucky residual of misunderstanding, even disdain, on the doorsteps of those who look towards His Word for what to wear.
It’s as if a person producing fruit for the only Holy One raises transparent barriers between ‘us’ and ‘them’. We see, even scrutinize, one another but dare not come too close by crossing barriers where our trends touch. And those brave enough to go against the cultural grain by extending His grace, quickly learn ‘other lives matter’, instead of valuing every single one God made.
Problem is, touching hearts and souls may the only hope for the Holy One to become tangible in every type of trend!
That’s why I’m wondering if we all have this style thing devastatingly wrong. Maybe the hesitation to break barriers is both side’s unwillingness to cross into one another’s intellectual cultures. Just maybe giving grace and gratitude FOR our differences is where Christ’s call to carry His Word to the world begins. Ultimately, isn’t that why we’re here? Maybe giving gratitude FOR the risk of reaching across the transparent walls is where it’s really at!
That’s right! Giving gratitude for the opportunity to share God’s grace just may be what transcends any cultural trend…. Which means failing to reach out and touch lives is the only real fashion fopa!
You see, when Christ walked though this world, His mission broke every barrier despite His counter-cultural message. The salvation He offered became the earth’s only forever fashion and He wore it first with His Father’s grace. Seasons come and go, but our Savior always reigns!
Then when He traded His life for our sins, He passed His trend to us. It comes with a command to ‘GO!’, cross barriers into all cultures carrying the message of the cross. He never said stop when it seems out of season to spread the Word. So, think about this: If we stay stagnant, secluded, disguising our own misunderstood style behind the barriers, who’s style have we already adopted?
Maybe instead of allowing the culture to set the style for what’s in season, we can find more ways to walk the narrow road where God’s sovereignty and Christ’s courage are the ONLY sense of style we need! He WAS and IS and IS TO COME. Go ahead, read this real evidence of Jesus’ awesome authority transcending all time: Revelations 1:4-7
Christ is our always King so wear your salvation well in every season. Wrap yourself in God’s grace and adorn your whole life with gratitude for the gift of what’s always keeping you warm. Then step out and break through walls to share your style with other shivering souls.
The unclothed hearts will watch you stepping out in a beautifully set-apart style of grace and gratitude Soon they’ll subtly long to wear the hope of the only Holy One with you. Because God’s grace is the only place where walls crumble and transparent barriers transform into transparent souls. Our spontaneous, uncontainable gratitude for His grace changes the way we walk and talk in this tainted world.
This kind of uncontainable gratitude inspires us to give it away so His Kingdom grows!
Wouldn’t the whole world change if all our counter-cultural-Christian ways were instantly infused grace for the unsaved?! A bold grace willing to walk through walls and humbly talk amidst foreign trends. And when we see each barrier between us as the blessing it is when it breaks, we start to give thanks for our differences.
So, let gratitude spill out of you because of God’s grace you’re always wearing. Go, STEP OUT and set a soul-trend because you’re in-season!
Here’s a real tangible challenge I’m issuing to ALL of us, including me….make this seasonal dish and step out, taking the gift of food and our Father’s goodness to grace someone else’s table: Take it to the Table: Grain-Free Spaghetti Squash Pasta with Grassfed Beef.
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