Christianity is not a Name Brand Fad

In fifth grade I visited a new store called Walmart. It had all the things that Kmart did but it was just…nicer. I remember my mom bought me a light pink jumper with buttons running down the front and little white leggings to go underneath. As I got dressed for school I admired my new outfit in the sliding glass door of my closet. I felt trendy and cute, as I grabbed my backpack for school.

In sixth grade I was introduced to brand names. ESPREE, Benetton, and Guess were among the most sophisticated brands. I learned quickly that all the popular girls had two requirements for acceptance into their fold: High bangs and name brand clothes. I was so excited when mom bought me a pair of stone washed guess jeans. I proudly wore them until a hole started to form right underneath my rear. Good thing biker shorts under jeans made the trend. Such fads probably resulted because stone wash jeans only had a wearing life of six months. Fitting in was of paramount importance to me, as a result, I was constantly trading clothes with my friends to keep up the appearance of a large wardrobe of name brand essentials. The effort was great to keep "the look."

As I was driving to a different coffee shop this morning I glanced in the rearview mirror at a messy bun of gray and brown hair. I smiled, because I have accepted this non-trendy choice I have made to live honestly with my gray hair in an over dyed world. This thought came to me in that instant, Christianity is not a brand name fad. No, in fact, we were meant to shine brightly as unique individuals changed by God's grace.

That may seem like a strange thought, but as I remembered the sacrifice to my pride to start the process of letting my roots show I remember the reproach I felt from some Christian leaders because I didn’t look young and trendy. I started to feel that maybe I should conform again to the proper "Christian" look I had seen other leading church leaders model. 

But the voice of Paul the apostle whispered in my ear: "Dianne, I pray that out of the riches of His glory, He may strengthen you with power through His spirit in your inner being, So that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith. And I pray that you being rooted and grounded in love may have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth of His love." Ephesians 3:16-17

 Christianity is not a brand name fad it is a spiritual awakening.

In the nineties when Christian t-shirts were all the rage I remember making sure I was properly clad in one before going to a church event.  After all, I wanted to fit in. Then as I went to college I learned quickly that to fit in the music department, perfect make-up and sharp dresses to gain the nod of approval from the music professors. At one music lesson my talented vocal coach set me straight with a little talk.

 "Dianne, you would be a lot more successful if you didn’t dress so frumpy and if you would just stand up straight. Your right shoulder hangs lower than your left. And on top of all that when you talk you don’t sound very intelligent." I thought I was learning how to serve God with my voice, but that day started a long struggle with appearance, approval, and the ministry.

I must look my best for God and all his people I told myself, but God is not a brand name fad. He is a "come as you are" Daddy that longs for all His kids to reflect his love, his grace, and declare His words on the earth.

God is not found in a well-tailored suit or in perfectly flat ironed hair. He is not found in the slickness of a new worship song or the smooth delivery of a sermon. Although bookstores are lined with books to tell us how to jump into the name brand trend that will give you “Your Best Life Now.” To be honest, faith is raw and wild. It isn’t politically correct or socially acceptable because it is other worldly, the substance of heaven.

I have decided I will not bend to trends or brand name gimmicks to fit in. Christianity is an internal revolution that has outward fruit. It is a changing of the inner thoughts, workings, and attitudes. It is a surrender of will to an unseen God. You can’t package that, it’s something you just have to choose to believe.

Dear friend, there is something so unique about you, something God-given. Like the little fifth grader admiring herself in the mirror dressed in her new pink jumper, God invites you to stand clothed not in name brands but with His power. He invites you not to "get cleaned up" in appearance but to surrender all the darkness of your heart. He wants us to really be free, not to just look "good."
Because Christianity is not a name brand fad.