The Cost of the Name

The Price of Surrender

Seven women
taking hold of one man—

we will eat
our own bread

wear
our own apparel

only let us
be called
by thy name

Isaiah saw it long ago:
the desire
for identification
without transformation

the name
without the nature

the covering
without repentance

Psalms 73—
Asaph struggling
with what he witnessed

the morally wrong
safe

prosperous

arrogance worn
like a collar

their words
flooding the earth

their mouths
against holy things

their abundance
mistaken
for divine approval

And seeing it—
knowing it—
Asaph said
his feet
almost slipped

until
the sanctuary

until perspective

until eternity
interrupted appearance

Then he understood
their end

momentary abundance
eternal desolation

Willfully blind

leading ignorantly blind—

Ditch warning 

And I understand
something else as well:

I cannot live for Christ
because others claim His name

I cannot follow Him
through borrowed conviction

I strive
to be like Christ

for me

—not for the name alone

 but for His nature in me 

—not to appear holy
but because I know
what I am
without Him