To save or not to save “FACE”
If this doesn’t apply to you then simply disregard it, and pray for us who it does apply to.
When we reference FACE it is to identify someone or thing. We ask; what his or her face looks like, so when we see them… we can identify them. However, Identity comes in all shapes and sizes. I want to point out something for all of us to hopefully benefit from. As we face the things in our life we should understand what it is that our FACE is identifying with. Is it in the things that we establish for our own identity, by establishing idols and or images, or is it those things that establish our identity in Christ Jesus? We must FACE the truth in whom and what we have established as our identity.
Years ago when my friends saw my face they knew me by what I identified with. They knew me by my identity with Harley Davidson, Drugs, Budweiser, and the party hardy kind of guy. Outside of that I was just another handsome face. LOL. Today I want people to see a musician, and an all around outdoorsman and free-spirited kind of guy. So what do I do? I wear camouflage shirts and surround myself with things that say this is who I am. This is my face. We are all being changed day by day “Our hope of glory”. You see, we want people to se us in a specific identity or “image” that describes who and what we are. The concern is sometimes our identity is conflicting with our identity with Jesus as a son of righteousness? We so often create our identity and then try to fit Jesus into it. This is where the trouble begins.
The scripture says in Jeremiah:
Declare and proclaim among the nations. Proclaim it and lift up a standard. Do not conceal it but say, ‘Babylon has been captured, Bel has been put to shame, Marduk has been shattered; her images have been put to shame, her idols have been shattered.’ For a nation has come up against her out of the north; it will make her land an object of horror, and there will be no inhabitant in it. Both man and beast have wandered off, they have gone away! In those days and at that time,” declares the LORD, “the sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the LORD their God they will seek.
They will ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces in its direction; they will come that they may join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.
Jesus will destroy our Babylon and her images will be utterly confounded. Where we so often struggle, are in the illusion of our images; we lose face with the one we should be identifying with the most. I know so many just like me have created their own face. Such as: status of maintaining and giving the appearance of success, career, wanting everyone to see and believe they have it all; a house, car, dog, and MONEY or the identifying with Alfonzo or specific Mafia organizations “Sicilians”, or eras like the 50s 60s 70s 80s, etc. we all have our images. We sometimes establish these false illusions and other idols and images by the influences of money, and dare I mentionHollywood, Television, etc. Empty and alone isn’t a pleasant place to be. We don’t want to be left out and un-accepted so we feed each others worldly creations. Are you empty at night when you lay down to sleep? Idols and images are one of our biggest enemies. What makes them so powerful is our indulgence is so established that we interpret and measure the word of God according to those standards. I remember back in the early eighties I had a visitation from the Lord in which he had challenged me to allow him to destroy myBabylon and to break down the image and idols I had created. The term was this; I was to go through my house and remove and destroy all that which did not glorify him. It’s sad to say how much compromising went on however, I submitted to his righteousness and, at the end of the day it almost left me with an empty home. All the things on my wall, my music selection. dishes, and clothing were identified with drugs, porn, whiskey, and yes Satan. I filled trash can after trash can. One of my friends felt so bad for me that he gave me some of his clothes. You see Jesus wasn’t just concerned with my spiritual home he was concerned with the influences of my idols and most of all my images. In my obedience he then was able to establish his identity in my life. And what I learned and grew into was the liberty and knowledge of hearing and seeing him clearer without other voices and influences. This is a continual process in which we as Christians walk.
So today let us; who want to be more like Jesus, fix our face on the one in which we want to identify with more. If your identity is more into the creation you designed; then empty out your trash and wash your face. There is liberty when we let go of everything we try to hold onto, in order to JUST SAVE FACE. Just a thought…
