Digitalize

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry… You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.  But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator… Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

 

 

Colossians 3:5-14

The picture in the magazine was flawless.

 

The couple looked gorgeous, flawlessly dressed in the latest stylish fashion looking content, and the picture radiated perfection.

 

Only later do we realize that the images in front of us have been manipulated and transformed into a master piece that could only come from the help of none other than digitalism.

 

Real life had been digitalized.

 

How often do we present ourselves to one another in a similar manner?

 

Covering up all of our flaws and imperfections so that we look "picture perfect" to all those that we meet or interact with from day to day.

 

We hide who we truly are.

 

And if that does not seem to strike a cord within us, what should more than ever, is the stark reality that we are not being who God so lovingly fashioned us to be.

 

To camouflage our imperfections, insecurities, and weaknesses, we copy spiritually vapid words into our conversations and paste convincing smiles on our faces. Confronted with our fake presentations, we conceal the truth and end up living two lives.

 

Seemingly perfect, yet truly fabricated.

 

As believers, we're called to cut away the things of old: "anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from [our] lips" (Colossians 3:8), a difficult task in itself. But putting on the "new self" is not something we just paste in place. Developing the character of Christ-likeness requires patience and truth—with God, with ourselves and with one another.

 

While there are times when we wish we could strike through words we have spoken and rewrite the sentences of our days, maturing as a Christian is a journey that we engage in step by step.

 

 

When we flow the journey that God is leading us on we find that we have complete freedom to be real—to be the men and women that God has fashioned us to be for his glory.

 

God does not want digitalized reproductions.

 

He desires a real relationship with us, one in which we're willing to wrestle through the hard work of maturity. After all, what could be more perfect than being chosen and deeply loved (See Colossians 3:12) by the Creator of all?