Shortly after Christmas my family had our pictures taken. This year I decided not to allow myself to think about it, knowing if I did I would stress and wind up hating every photo because of the undo pressure that would force a tense smile. I can always read the uneasiness behind my own eyes in every photograph. In fact the photos of myself I love the most are the ones taken right before or after each of my children has been born. There is no expectation of perfection, just the sweet mixture of joy, exhaustion and peace.
Needless to say, despite our photographer friend's immense talent, I was not looking forward to thumbing through images of frizzy hair, lazy eyes and double chins. Imagine my surprise as I clicked through the downloads of the session filled with sly smiles, laughter and personality. Then it happened. **Click** Oh. My. Goodness. She got it. A picture of myself and my daughter, Leilah, in a completely real moment in time. Lovely. Then **Click** Perfection! Leilah and I have a fun and silly relationship and these two pictures captured our relationship so fully. Our good friend had gotten it so right.
I love this concept. Getting it right. So right. Like the right that you want to tap into your phone, take a picture of and post to Instagram. I feel this kind of right when I make my kids a really good breakfast. I always want to take a picture of the eggs, toast, yogurt and smoothie and brag to all my online besties about what a good mom I am. Something like: "When you've got it, you've got it! #bestmomever" (although I'd never use hashtags. Women 30+ are forbidden to do this, at least that's what my husband tells me). The affirmation would pour in and there I would be in my legging clad, slippered glory relishing the praise and jealousy of lesser mortals.
And while I think this self-aggrandizing practice has gotten out of hand in my own life, I do think there is a real precedent for bragging, especially in the heart and mind of a Christian. Shocking, I know, but scripture is pretty clear that bragging is permissible and even encouraged.
Paul speaks numerous times of boasting the Lord (2 Corinthians 10, Romans 15, Galatians 6, 1 Corinthians 1) not to mention the entirety of the book of Psalms and the proclamations of God's prophets such as Jeremiah and Ezekiel. In fact, I think it could be argued that every major Biblical character boasted at some point or another about the work of God in their life. Of course, the giant glaring difference between our social media self-pep talks and the Biblical practice of boasting boils down to the subject of our praise and the manner in which we deliver our message of glory.
I have noticed than in many circles of Christian community the trend is to downplay our holiness. Inasmuch, as I often find myself and others focusing on the pitfalls of sin and then entrapment of daily life rather than rejoicing in the victories of Christ in our hearts and the freedom of Jesus in our lives. While personal growth and exploration in our journey of Sanctification is right and good, so also is rejoicing in the finished work of our Justification and the realization of Christ-likeness in our lives on a daily basis. I often think we don't brag because we are too prideful. We have exchanged the humility of knowing who we are is because of Jesus for the pride of "choosing" Him, therefore we do not speak of the things "we have done" in our Christian life instead of embracing the goodness of who He is in us. Our internal pride keeps us from external praise.
I love it when another believer tells a story of "getting it right": finding a solution they would not have thought of because of the renewing of their mind; taking action they had never even dreamed of before submitting their will to Jesus; loving someone they had written off because of a renewing relationship with the Savior of the World. Restoring relationships. Living radically. Changing. All because of Jesus. We should be rejoicing in this! A hurting world would be drawn to a leader who restores us to what we were meant to be. Everything He created us to be.
The confounding joy of Jesus is that He has made us perfect because of His perfect love and sacrifice, and He is guiding us to the realization of that perfection in time. This is the joy of our Salvation! A God who is bigger than anything else and is working in bigger ways than we could possibly imagine. We should shout that from the mountains. And not in a depressing minor key, but in a way that really relates joy!
In his book the Art of Self-Forgetfulness, Timothy Keller reminds us that if we have entered relationship with Christ, and if we are choosing to follow Him, He should be the cornerstone of every decision, every thought, every breath. Therefore, if we are disliked or causing offense, it is not us but Christ in us who is the subject of the negative emotion. In the same way, I think we must remember that if we have this kind of relationship with Christ then every positive should be attributed, as well, to Christ. Our freedom is then to boast because we are boasting in the Lord.
The reason I am so happy with this year's set of photos is not because I dressed my family so well. I did not. It was not because we are exceptional models. We are not. It was not because the setting was so undeniably picturesque. It wasn't. It is because the photographer got it right. Being a family friend, she knows us. She captures real moments. She edits well. She does her job superbly. The photos are good, not because I'm so awesome but because she is.
The same is true for my walk with Jesus. My life is not awesome because I am so organized. I am not. It's not abundant because I seize every opportunity with vigor. I don't. It's not redeemed because I have brought myself out of the darkness. I have not. It's because God loves me and Jesus has made a way for that love to burst into my heart and overflow every vessel and seep out into a world that is being restored to perfect relationship with Him. I will boast in that, #Hegotitright!
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