Function vs. Fashion

Hello everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends. Mel and I got back in from West Palm Beach yesterday afternoon. (no, we're still not un-packed). But, back to the grindstone we all go...

Today I want to take a look at the relationship between function and fashion. I believe that you can not ignore their relationship in pretty much everything. But, let's look at something very basic... the fork and spoon. Function almost always determines fashion. (I can not think of an area where it doesn't, but there very well could be) The function of the fork and/or spoon is fairly obvious. From a very young age we are taught to use these utensils to eat with to make our lives easier, and hopefully less messy. The fork and spoon are both utensils, equal in status and ability, just different in function.

Hence the difference in fashion.

The fork and spoon perform two very different tasks, therefore, look completely different. I think there is a very important lesson for us here when it comes to faith and "sacred cows". If function determines fashion, that you should be able to look at your church, your friends, and yourself and see the underlying function that they are performing. In the church's case, it is obvious... The Church has only two purposes: Reach the Lost & Teach the Saved. But when you look at something a little less obvious like your friends, or even yourself, what function are they performing in your life and in your faith?

Do you friends encourage or discourage your faith?

Do you feel you have to keep it hidden, or can you share it openly?

Do you exercise your faith? Share your faith? Or do you just wear it like a badge or name tag?

If function determines fashion... then fashion illustrates the function. What it looks like it does, is probably what it does...

We all need to first realize that if we are truly saved by the Grace of Christ, then we are equal in status and ability as every other member of the body of Christ... from Benny Hinn, Joel Osteen, T.D. Jakes, and the Pope, all the way down to the person that cleans the toilet in The First Christian Community Church of Bumble-Who, USA. Secondly, though we are equal, we are also different. This is where function comes in. We are all parts of one body, but we're not all the same part! [insert random body part joke here].

We need to:
Step in to who we are...
Step up to what we are...
Step out to what we're meant to be doing!


"If you try to eat soup with a fork, you'll but in a lot of effort for very little nourishment..."

"If you try to eat steak with a spoon, you'll only be banging your head against a wall..."


- Just a thought.