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Jul 13, 2022 08:00am

Spiritual Spanx

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The year 2012 was a historic one for Sara Blakely. She was named the world’s youngest (age 27) self-made billionaire by Forbes Magazine and one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People. What catapulted her to fame was, in part, due to some ill-fitting slacks for a dinner party she was rushing off to attend. Grabbing scissors, she turned her then pantyhose into the now SPANX retail product that can be found in more than fifty countries. Her mission was to aid women by holding in and minimizing their true shape. Who could have dreamed that “coverage” would fly off the shopping shelves from St. Louis to Singapore? Why?

Illusions sell.

Sadly, long before Sara became a billionaire many of us opted to model our own version of “Spiritual Spanx.” We know how to showcase the Sunday version of our appearance, attitude, and beliefs “covered” with raised hands, thundering amens, and choruses of “Amazing Grace,” only to expose our true shaping by Monday morning’s alarm clock. How we are “viewed” might be tucked in for selective engagements, but it soon starts to bulge. Conviction, like calories, is difficult to hide. As believers, we really only have two things to decide:

How do the things God has said apply to me?

Am I willing to do them?

Johnnie McDonald states, “Modesty isn’t a dress code but a heart posture.” It influences our thoughts and actions not merely hemlines and outbursts. Look around . . . there’s a lot of craziness hanging out, and it’s not a good look from any angle, especially heavenly. The only script God has for us is Jesus. We come to him in transparency not camouflage. Our true covering comes from His blood applied to our sinfulness. Period.

Be intentional. Being God’s ambassador includes HOW you present yourself! That’s one “choice” issue we should fully support. These outward manifestations become your lifestyle in attitude, appearance, and service; and ultimately your legacy.

When we worship God in elegance and grace, our being and behaving is “unto the Lord.” Our testimony is our story, no doubt containing plot twists, questionable characters, and a few chapters we might not want read aloud. Make no mistake about it, our redemption is His story in us. As your life pages continue to turn, be sensitive to the bases God wants you to “cover” in repping Him. Develop a modest yet solid understanding of your position as His child. Allow His glory to be your highest calling. Be soulfully kept in Him. No spiritual Spanx needed.

Psalm 32:1 “Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, favored by God] is he whose transgression is forgiven, and whose sin is covered.”