Being Sexy is Exhausting!

If you know me, this blog title may strike you as a bit strange. Sex appeal has never been a super high priority of mine … at least not on the exterior. Although, I did go through a brief college phase where I spent an inordinate amount of time at the gym and, consequently, in front of mirrors. Fortunately, that was in the pre-cell-phone-camera and pre-Facebook days or I'd probably have 100s of those vain little bathroom-mirror-self-portraits littering my profile pics. Rachel hears stories about the once-buff version of Curtis, and I think at times, she quietly pines for a re-emergence. But that has long since faded into the past.

When it comes to faith, however, it's a different story. Sex appeal has been a driving force for almost all of my vocational Christian life. I've tried it two different ways. And I'm learning (the hard way) that neither of them work … because being sexy is just exhausting.

First – the sexy Sunday. Don't get me wrong. I think Sundays should be fantastic! They should move and inspire and challenge and run the full-gamut of emotions. But often this desire gets off course and distorted … and Sunday becomes something it shouldn't. The weekend service becomes our end instead of a means. It makes me think a little of Dallas Willard's great piece on Vision, Intention, and Means. In the Christian faith, the only vision that will truly create the intention to pursue the means of discipleship is to hold up a true, compelling, beautiful vision of Christ. But it's so easy for churches to slip into holding up Sunday instead. And the moment this happens, the slow exhausting death of staying sexy begins … because propping up Sundays is relentless and exhausting. (An important side note: Jesus holds himself up.)

Second – the sexy midweek. In a Kiva, charity:water, TOMS world … this is a very sexy alternative to option one. My daughter, Kyra, is in the Key Club at her high school. Being from Canada, I had never heard of a Key Club before. It's basically a service club. They find ways to serve others and give of themselves. It includes volunteering at shelters and visiting retirement homes and participating in human-trafficking walks and much, much more. These things are awesome! I love that Kyra has the opportunity to do this!

Again, don't get me wrong. Servanthood is key!! Christians should be marked by it! I have a KIVA account, wear TOMS, just adopted a dog from a rescue shelter, and I have friends in a band benefitting charity:water. But service isn't supposed to lead our faith. It can't. And here's why.

Service is a faith by-product. It is a characteristic of discipleship. It's not the start; it's a result.

Here's what I feel / sense / believe that God is teaching me. Sexy doesn't work. Plain and simple. And it isn't supposed to. In fact, all attempts we make to sell a sexy version of Christianity undercuts the gospel. We're selling a lie. I heard an interview conducted by Bill Hybels where he was interviewing Eugene Peterson. They began talking about how we invite people to faith / salvation. Eugene said (I'm paraphrasing because I can't find the original podcast), “We need to change our invitation. It needs to be short and brutal. It will cost you everything. The invitation must start and end with the real cost of discipleship.”

Discipleship isn't sexy. Not at all. It's hard. And it lives and flourishes only in cultures and relationships of accountability. But when it happens? Oh, the beauty!

Moment of transparency. It's hard to let go of sexy.