I’m not one to always keep up with the latest culturally driven vernacular. When the young adults moved out of the house, I lost access to that dynamic. However, every now and then, I can pick up the meaning of certain words and/or phrases by the result of context clues. Over the last few months, I have been inundated with hearing the word “basic” as a descriptor of a person, often female identifying as “common and run of the mill,” yet the underpinning of “common” is not celebrated. In fact, one might feel some kind of way if referred to it. Just check the amplification; “I’m not a basic b*tch.” There is evidence that simply being oneself, stripped of frill would not suffice the culture – but there is compelling evidence that refutes that basic does suffice the Kingdom.

I was reading and stumbled across 1 Colossians 26-29 in the Message Bible and found the following:

“This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it’s out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That’s what I’m working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.”

I was blown away, particularly as I reflected the foundational principle of living, simply believing and holding fast to the truth that Christ is in me. If I’m not careful, I can miss the crux which will lead me all the days of my life. The beauty and essence of this passage is, “To be mature is to be basic.” While the world is simulating something that is less beneficial through it’s artificial orchestration, God make us to be basic – mature in knowing when to speak and when to be silent; when to move and when to be still; when to love up close and love from afar; when to accept and when to release to the hand of the Master. We build this practice as we spend time with God, read and meditate on His Word, remaining connected and living through His directives and accepting His will. Over the weekend, I attended a family reunion. As I played with one of my little cousins, who is a toddler, we sang the alphabet song. I’m over 50 and I still remember it. It’s not something I’ve sang in decades, yet the time and attention I put into it as a child and then as a parent, and in community with youngins, manifested in my ability to recall the song even today. It is basic, yet fundamental. Absent the alphabet and we suspend our ability to speak, write and communicate. The alphabet’s foundational operation as basic, matured us into command and operationalization of language. As we deposit Christ into our very being, we desire what He does. As we mature in Christ, we come to the knowledge that He is for our good and He is within us and we shall share in His glory – here and thereafter. God make us basic! Thank you for granting a renewed and affirming context amidst a worldly exploitation. The next time someone calls you basic, accept it with this connotation in mind.