What Do You Need to Take Off?

The fashion icon Coco Chanel once gave timeless advice to every woman tempted to over-embellish her God-given beauty:

“Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.”

This designer knew that the more accessories one carried, the less others would see what truly mattered. I believe that if we want to be influencers for Jesus in today’s culture, we must do the same.

As Christ’s ambassadors we should throw off our religious attitudes, rid ourselves of anger, and even clip off the denominational tags which distract others from seeing the simple, undeniable beauty of Jesus Christ.

But as a girl who was raised in the Church, I often look in the mirror and discover I’m wearing too much knowledge and not enough grace. I see how the world layers confusion over truth, so I try to anticipate questions and analyze arguments in order to give the right answer.

But we don’t have to solve all the problems, do we? When we know Jesus, we carry the answer.

The apostle Paul shared this truth in a letter to the church of Corinth: “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Paul could have relied on his extensive religious training to tell others about Jesus, but he chose to keep his message simple to reveal the true beauty of the cross of Christ.

Friends, when Jesus is lifted up, He will draw all people to Himself (John 12:32) no matter what’s trending. And the eternal love of God will never go out of style.

I’m asking the Lord to help me step out the door today clothed in that love. How about you? What might you need to take off to allow more of Jesus to be seen?