Who are you AFTER?

She plugged her ears most of the time.

She had a definite scowl on her turned-down face, and the bent of her shoulders screamed defiance.

She was the camper who did not like the teacher’s modesty discussion one bit. I was the camp counselor, and as I watched the body language of my other campers sitting knock-kneed on the picnic bench, I could tell that they felt the same way.

I felt sorry for my campers, because I knew their backgrounds, and the concepts they were hearing were totally blowing their minds. I also felt sorry for the teacher, who was putting her all into the lesson, & was being booed by part of the crowd while the other part was soaking up every word with hunger shining from their eyes. It was a hard mixture of people to speak to.

Later that night, as I sat cross-legged in a green camp chair, the mouths of 8 young girls around me exploded. “That was crazy!! I was so mad! Why in the world would it be sinful to wear bright colors, headbands, and shirts with pockets? How could a God of love hate me for a detail that small?”

Forreal, where is the fine line between young girls cheerfully following their parent’s standards without guilt, and when is it the right time to rise above them (or, in some sad cases, fearlessly defy them) to new heights of conviction? That wasn’t the biggest question that was gnawing at the girls’ hearts, though, and after all of the emotion was released, we finally got to it. “What things will keep us out of heaven?”

I once heard a very wise man say….. umm….. something very wise…. and this was it: “Don’t ask, “What’s wrong with that?”, because by asking what is wrong, you are implying that something is right. Instead, ask, “What does God say about this?”

So, what does God say about modesty? What does He say about bright colors, headbands, and shirts with pockets? I’ll let you do that research for yourself. But I do know what the very first commandment to God’s children is. It is this: LOVE the Lord your God with ALL your heart, ALL your mind and ALL your soul.

There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION to them who follow Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but AFTER the Spirit. Romans 8:1

My version? “Now, there will be no condemnation [no charge of evil] brought against those who serve Jesus, IF they follow [relentlessly CHASE] after the ways of His Spirit instead of chasing after the earthly desires of the flesh.”

No charge of evil, that’s what Jesus promised to those who actively chase after Him.

Who are you after?