Packaging - noun: 1) materials used to wrap or protect goods 2) the presentation of a person, product, or action in a particular way.
Christmas 2017 is over, and I have a confession to make. I don’t like wrapping gifts. I find it tedious, and I’m horrible at it. I mean - Martha Stewart would cringe. Some presents had unaligned edges, while others had too much hanging over the top. I could blame it on the 2:00 am timeframe, but no, it would have been the same had I been wrapping at 2:00 pm. It’s not something I’m proud of, nor something that I am ashamed for that matter. It seems counter to my personality that I am not a meticulous gift wrapper. I’ve thought about it over the years, and I concluded: the wrapping or packaging is only temporary. It’s dispensable, and ultimately, it’s just there to cover the gift.
Yet, we become mesmerized by ornate packages – whether object or human – sometimes one in the same. Companies spend billions of dollars on product packaging annually. More than protecting the goods, packaging can make or break a company’s brand, because we live in a superficial society; one that’s drawn to beautiful things – even when they are artificial. Sometimes, especially when they are artificial. On the one hand, we spout clichés like: beauty is only skin deep; bigger isn’t always better; and don’t judge a book by its cover. Then we buy into and perpetrate the opposite.
Even when we know better, we can still fall prey to this same proclivity. From social media, television, and film to the marketplace and even ministry and marriage, we gravitate towards the trappings of how things, places, and people are packaged. We surmise that what’s on the inside must be as good as or even better than what’s outside. The idea of crisp, clean wrapped gifts adorned with neatly tied bows and bells appeals to us, but if the same gifts were in brown paper bags or boxes, would we want them? Would we accept them as graciously, or would we pursue them as voraciously?
Trappings - noun: the outward signs, features, or objects associated with a situation, role, or thing.
How many of us have been seduced by the packaging? In restaurants. In stores. In the workplace. In relationships. Our eyes have drawn us into situations based on what it looked like. The food must taste good, because it looks good in the commercial. The purse must be quality, because it has a certain logo. The job will exceed my expectations, because it comes with a corner office. He will make a good husband, because he has good earning power . After we’ve bought into the “fool’s gold,” we discover that we’ve been duped and there’s no hopes of a refund.
Then, there are times, when the way something is packaged turns out to be extraordinary and far exceeds our expectations…
When I left my long-time church home some years ago, I had an image of what kind of ministry I wanted to join. I was accustomed to opulent edifices with stained glass windows and high ceilings. So, I thought I was looking for a large building with a big congregation. See, at the time, I was looking for a church and not to be , but that’s a different post. It turns out that what I thought I wanted and what I needed were different. In 2009 after being with my current ministry for almost two years, I wrote the following to my pastor:
“For years, I had been praying to find a home church. With that first visit to your apartment, I knew that is where God wanted me…Certainly, I had my struggles and battles with joining, because “it” (the church) was not “packaged” the way I had envisioned. It’s like when I was a kid, and it was Christmas and I was looking for the biggest box – to open it and only find the ordinary – and the box that I had been avoiding – had (the thing) I had been hoping and praying for so long!”
Had I left it up to the packaging alone, I would not have joined Kingdom of Priests Ministry, and I don’t want to think about where I’d be today. Thankfully, I didn’t get trapped by how it looked to my natural eye, but I followed the leading of my spirit.
We all have our lists or our criteria for things in our lives. While I am not suggesting that anyone settle for less than what God has for us, I am suggesting that we re-evaluate how we think something should be wrapped up or packaged. We could be missing out on something wonderful: a gift, blessing, or opportunity, a mate, because it is in the metaphorical wrong box or bag. Remember, it’s the gift on the inside that’s what most important. So, listen intently to the voice of God for guidance.
Scriptures for further reading:
- “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly." John 7:24
- “But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7
Leave a comment below about a time where the "packaging" surprised you.
What a great blog. Just a few days ago I shared with someone they might miss God if they were not prayerful because of what it "looked like". Your writings over the weeks have caused tremendous self examination. Thank you for always sharing your story, it helps to know some one can relate. Keep up the great work.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the encouragement. I truly pray that I can help someone avoid some of the pitfalls that I have encountered by sharing what God has told me to share. We learn from each other.
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