A few weeks ago, I started noticing something kind of odd in the mirror. Something that I hadn’t seen in like a decade suddenly became prominently displayed on my physique. A new tattoo? Nope. A grown man’s mustache? Certainly not (still unable to pull that one off!). If you guessed my hip bone, you are right on the money!
Why is this reappearance happening? Well, in the past 7 months, I have lost 70 lbs. Now, before you start congratulating me or asking me if I am part of the P90X club, understand that the vast majority of my weight was dropped because of gastrointestinal issues. It’s always awkward when someone I haven’t seen in awhile comes to congratulate me, and then I have to sheepishly explain I was incredibly ill, and we kind of just stand around and try to change the subject to something else.
After having my gall bladder removed and being placed on various medications and diets, the doctors are hoping that my digestive system is getting back on the right track, and I hope so too (I really miss milkshakes and cheeseburgers!). It is pretty odd weighing in the 170s, which happens to be basically the amount I weighed ten years ago (when I was a junior in high school).
But why, exactly, am I bringing up my hip bone? Because honestly, it had gotten a little padding around it, and while I knew it was there, no one else could see it…they just saw the fluff that covered it. People could see the love handles, but they couldn’t see what was underneath. My hip bone was comfortably tucked away and covered, which is something that believers often do with their faith.
Give yourself an honest assessment. What do people see when the look at you? Is Christ’s light evident and shining through you, or are there other things, “fluff,” that are covering it up? Just as I lost that excess weight that was covering up my hip, sometimes we need to be bold enough to ask God to burn away the dross that has slowed us down and limited others from seeing our light.
It’s funny, because I knew my hip bone was in there, but now that the love handles are gone, other people see it to. I promise you that people will notice when you cut the fluff and start seriously living a cross-centered life.
The writer of Hebrews tells us in chapter 12 that we should strip off everything that hinders to run the race that Christ has set out for us. He is saying that we have to get rid of the fluff. When people see us, they need to see our hip bones! They need to see the light of Jesus in us above all else.
When people look at you, do they see the light, or do they see love handles?
