The Christian's Haircut...

Original date of writing: Satuday, Nov 4, 2006 - Maui, HI
Revised/reposted: Monday, Aug 4, 2008 - Ft Worth, TX

Have you ever been faced with something that you know that you need to do, but you just didn't want to/didn't have to the time to do it? Take me for example. I need desperately to cut my hair. Have I? No. Am I before I get home? Of course not. But why? Well, I'm in Maui, where it doesn't really matter what my hair looks like. I've got nobody to impress out here. Would it look better shorter than it is in its ballistic, out-of-control state that it presently resides? Sure it would. But I just don't have the time, or the inclination to do so at the present.

Sometimes I wonder if that's the case with our spiritual walks. Is it that we are in a place of comfort/apathy that says, "It doesn't matter what it looks like?" Or even worse, "It doesn't look the best, but it sure does look better than his/hers, therefore, its ok. Don't worry about it." Is the apathy of our culture deafening the outcry of the Cross? Are we in a place when we say, "I'll do it later"? Have we come to the marketplace of ideas trying to pawn off our sacred, absolute truth for some other trinket of far lesser value (if it holds any at all)? I think that a lot of us have. Including myself. Shall we heed the battle cry of the Cross demanding us forward inch by inch into all of the world, making disciples of all men? OR, will we instead sit on our blessed assurance waiting for someone else to charge into the fray? There are absolute truths in this world, and we have the greatest of them all. Jesus loves you, died for you, and wants to take your soul and renew you with His righteousness. And yet we feel that we must incorporate other thoughts and ideas in order to be "Culturally relevant."

I say that we stand on the firm foundation of Calvary (1 Cor 3:11), realizing that the blood laid down that day on a cursed tree (Gal 3:13), has given us the right to stand up in love and to proclaim the truths of the Word of God. There is but one name by which all men shall be saved (Acts 4:12), the name of JESUS CHRIST(John 14:6). And it is by that name that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that HE is Lord (Rom 14:11). There is only one way to get to heaven, and that is not of our own doing, but instead by the undeniably single greatest act of love in the history of world (Eph 2:8-9). That the creator would reconcile the creation to Himself by sending His Son on the cross to die for our putrid souls (Rom 8:1-4), and upon the acknowledgement of His lordship leave His Spirit to dwell inside of us earthen vessels (Rom 10:9-10).

If we should long to find truth (John 3:16-18), If we should yearn to have understanding of the things not of this world (1 Cor 1:26-30; Is 55:9), If we should desire to make our lives count for something far greater than just a "good life" (1 Cor 15:12-19), we must acknowledge the one who created it all and seek His face (2 Chr 7:14). That is the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He has never failed me yet, nor shall he ever. To Him be all praise, honor, and glory forever, Amen.

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; or close the wall up with our English dead. In peace there's nothing so becomes a man as modest stillness and humility: but when the blast of war blows in our ears, then imitate the action of the tiger... I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, straining upon the start. The game's afoot: follow your spirit, and upon this charge cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!"
-William Shakespeare
King Henry V, 1599