Recently I shared a parable about a woman, a wedding and a hair salon experience.
The parable is worth an explanation. Of course not all parables are worth an explanation but this one certainly was.
It came to me one morning – one of those things you get when you’re waking up giving the impression it must have been a dream. It came through fairly strongly and for me to have noted it down was quite a feat considering my usual record with morning insights of that nature which works on the bath sink principle. That principle being that the dream is the water in the bath, and waking up is taking the plug out of the bath and eventually the dream like the water just drains away.
The heart of the meaning behind the parable, however, is about the local expression of church as the stylist. The hair on the woman is the most beautiful thing in God’s creation – namely those He made in Him image. The church has an opportunity to treat the hair – as in we have a chance to engage with people who are supposed to be resplendent and gorgeous, beautiful to look at and great to feel.
Often, however, it is the case, that we can while away the time with routines and activities that exert a lot of energy, but actually produces no actual change to those we are serving. Sure the real deal is that it is God who gives the increase. It is the Spirit that allows us to live victoriously. That is indisputable. There is still the role of the believer, however, to invest time in encouraging people to glorify God by actually growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Interacting with believers, as iron sharpens iron, is meant to be an edifying experience.
Like the failed stylist in the parable, sometimes we actually have a record of failed styles, which we don’t admit or acknowledge because that would be tantamount to questioning our routines and traditions, which we have embedded as truth. We have believed our own hype about our so-called reputations, whether it is for great orthodoxy or being great at hospitality. We drink that in, and don’t pay attention to the actual fruit of what we are doing.
God has given us the resources to actually consider carefully how we engage with those who should be gorgeous and resplendent in every way. We don’t have to impose anything on anyone. The element of “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded” in the great commission is more about setting an example for people to see in a way that is humble and endearing, rather than resting on laurels. Being real people. Real vulnerable people who have as much to learn as we have to teach. That in itself can make us the right people to relate to others and serve them so that they too will glorify the Father.
All in preparation of the great wedding to come where the Son will look at his Bride and rejoice at how great she looks.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
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