Day 67

Day 67 of  The Red Shoe Project  found me wearing RED shoes and celebrating the fact that two of my guy friends are joining with me on this daily "Looking for God" venture.  Although RED SHOES are really NOT their thing, both have found value in the idea of having a standout, in-your-face, visual reminder to look for God.  

Jim has been sporting a men's scripture bracelet, almost from Day 1, along with keeping up with the daily blog postings!  Kris, on the other hand,  just told me last week that he was looking for something to help him be more aware of this God that he can't see or touch.  Today he told me that his father had just passed a family heirloom along to him.  It's a men's ring hosting a big purple gem.  Kris isn't one to really wear jewelry, let alone a  ring, with a huge purple  stone, no less. Yes, I said purple! But that's perfect.  It sticks out like a sore thumb... and that's just what this Red Shoe Project is all about.  After all, if your "shoes" blend in... well, that really doesn't work, does it?
THANK YOU GUYS for traveling this Yellow Brick Road with me!

Recently I was talking about The Fruit of the Spirit and how that attracts people to consider Christ.  Galatians 5:22 lists the true Fruit of the Spirit as...

Love,   Joy,  Peace,  Patience,  Kindness,  Goodness, 

     Faithfulness,  Gentleness  and Self-control.

The Source of these fruits is GOD. We know that  because they are fruits of the "Spirit" which is a reference to The Holy Spirit,  and He is GOD.

Today, I couldn't stop thinking about the idea of "Faux Fruit."  Faux is a french word that means "false."  You've heard of "Faux Fur?"  That's a fancy term for "Fake Fur."  Generations ago, women of wealth were often found wearing beautiful fur coats.  Somewhere in the late 80s or so, factions spoke out against the use of real fur for clothing when technology could easily produce synthetic variants.  Now a days, far fewer woman are wearing "the real thing!"

So what might "Faux Fruit" be?  It is the false or fake version of God's original.  Take LOVE, for example.  The Bible tells us that LOVE is from God.

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. 

 Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God."

 I John 4:7, 8   

So if the LOVE one is considering doesn't have anything to do with God... if the people involved aren't  born of God... if they don't know God... Sorry to say this, but according to the Bible,  it's an imitation.  It may look like love.  It may have a lot of the same features.  Some offerings of it may be higher in quality and some may be cheap imitations.  But take a look at the label.  Is it real?  Does it meet the criteria that it takes to be called Original?

I know that this is one of those things that people don't like to talk about.  Why?  Because some don't want to pay the price for the real deal.  It's costly.

 Everyone wants LOVE in the purest sense, 

but not everyone wants God.  

So some settle for what else is available... they settle for Faux.  Sometimes people don't want to wait for the real thing... they want it now! so they settle for Faux.  Some even feel that they are not worthy of the real thing, so they settle for Faux.

To "settle" for something means to accept or agree to 

something that is considered less than satisfactory.

Can you think of a time in your life in which you have "settled for faux?"  Why?  Why did you settle?

For those of you who just straight out don't want God, I can't help you.  But for those who are willing to "consider Christ,"  know this...  Christ paid the price for you when he hung on the cross.  He died that you might experience
The Real Thing.  The Original.  The Highest Quality.  -- Not just of LOVE, but of all the fruits:  

Love,   Joy,  Peace,  Patience, Kindness,  

Goodness, Faithfulness,  Gentleness  and Self-control

My Ruby Slippers may be Faux, but there's one thing I know for sure,
my God is real!

Gail