Ever since we published our first course in September, I’ve been seeking the Lord regarding which course would be next to release. The main purpose that we pursued in ‘In the Name of Fashion: Understanding Fashion Through the Word of God’ was to outline how the fashion industry works, because we can only properly handle something when we are clear on how that something operates (otherwise we take risk to be taken advantage by what is before us, especially when it is a whole big system that we face). So yeah, mission on this particular front has been accomplished, and praise the Lord. So, what's next?
How many of us, I wonder, truly understand the core of the Word of God? And if presented with a task to sum the Gospel's essence up on one side of a single page, how many of us would actually stand up to the challenge? The answer, though, should be, "All of us".
It is worthy to contemplate that the religious aspect of faith (especially in this specific season of festivities) may be demanded by a custom or tradition, and yet it still can end up being an empty gesture before the Lord, if our hearts are in fact distant from Him and not in sync with His Holy Spirit. “For anything we do that doesn’t spring from faith is, by definition, sinful” (Romans 14:23 TPT). Interesting, yes?
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Jesus answered him, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with every passion of your heart, with all the energy of your being, and with every thought that is within you.’ This is the great and supreme commandment. And the second is like it in importance: ‘You must love your friend in the same way you love yourself.’ Contained within these commandments to love you will find all the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40 TPT)
When thinking of God heart's priorities for His people, they are clear and pretty straightforward. Straightforward? Yes. Yet challenging, and in fact, completely out of reach for any human to fulfill without the help of The Holy Spirit. God's logic and way of doing things stem from the very Person of Who He is; yet the kindness that He shows us and accessibility, if you will, leave me astounded every day and every time that I walk with The Holy Spirit, making my heart to focus on what's important and pleasing to Him in such a way, that it organically brings me to "check" the first commandment.
Another particular aspect which we know God's heart is after is His love for the human creation that He made in His image (Genesis 1:27) for fellowship and communion. And as I often say it, God is in business of saving people.
There will be a new heaven and a new earth, and the systems of the world, as we know them now, will most definitely fall (thanking Lord for this in advance, halleluYAH). But before that—which is NOW—God’s love is calling out for all to come, repent, and enter into His Kingdom. And as His ambassadors and sons and daughters (i.e. those who are already in), that is what we are commissioned to do wherever we are.
For example here at 'God of Fashion', we are committed to spread the love of God and His wonderful news on the Mountain of Creativity/Arts&Fashion and to disciple to empower those who are on the same mountain or otherwise have come in contact with it. Humans are precious in Lord's eyes and we are indeed the conduits, vessels, and the very agents of change. For better, and sadly sometimes for worse.
Soooo, what's next? And which course should 'God of Fashion' release next? I feel it should be the course "after God's own heart" at this present moment and season we are in ... the course that would be calibrated to hit His priorities for us in this hour.
And so lastly, I find it so easy to approach the aspect of who we are (in Him) from the position of what we do, or worse still, what other people may say about us in connection to those areas. 'Doing vs. being’ is a number one problem that I personally see in the lives of so many sisters and brothers (believe me, I am no exception either). The "good works" (= doing) that Apostle Paul speaks about in Ephesians 2 are obviously valid and true, yet they do not represent a cause but rather effect, not the reason but outcome. Because it is only once the essence of our being is fixed through the kindness and greatness of Jesus Christ that our doing flows automatically with the same goodness, kindness, and so-called efficiency (if this is something one is after).
Our identity in Christ and our being are undoubtedly the keys to everything else, (including the aspects we've briefly brought up in this post). Nike’s slogan urges us, ‘Just Do It’; Jesus’ motto for His human creation, washed by His blood, compels, ‘Just Be It’. And therefore, it is the identity that we will speak about in our next course; and we even have a title for it already—'Fashion Damage Control, or New Creation 101'.
Stay tuned, stay blessed! Happy CHRISTmas!
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