Free Expression

“Lives are for free expression not good impression.”

Loren Thornburg (adapted from magazine)

I read something in a magazine once that said “homes are for free expression not good impression.”  We don’t live like that most of the times.  Instead we want to impress so we make sure to straighten up before guests come over and we apologize if unexpected guests see our home in disarray.  I’m not saying we shouldn’t do that.  I’m simply pointing out our tendencies to make everything look nice and I can’t say we live the rest of our lives much differently.  We put on a smiling face even when things feel like they are falling apart.  Again I’m not saying this is wrong.  Sometimes it’s the only way we know how to make it through the day.  Yet, do we also have the freedom to fall apart, to invite people into our homes when they’re messy and allow people access to our hearts when it feels like chaos?  The key here is that we have freedom for both.  Freedom to keep our house nice because it doesn’t define us and freedom to look a mess because we aren’t trying to impress.  What if we could live free?  You are free!  You are free to express, you don’t have to impress.  

“Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others.  Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.”

Philippians 2.3

We are not called to live lives that make a good impression on others.  No where does it say to focus on making a good impression.  Instead, we are called to love God, love others, and be holy.   Now, hopefully in the midst of living lives that reflect the life of Jesus we will make a good impression on others.  Yet, the truth is that sometimes they will have the opposite response.  Here in Philippians Paul is talking about our call to love by humility, thinking of others before ourselves.  Living humbly is based on our actions and living to impress is based on the reactions of others.  We don’t have to live based on the responses and reactions of others.  Rather we are called to be so free that we can humbly give regardless of how others respond.  That is true freedom and true expression of Christ.  You are free to express.  You are free not to impress.  He makes you free.