Let’s look at the definition of Ghetto – initially it referred to an area that a specific racial or ethnic background resided, be-it voluntary or involuntarily pushed into a seclusion type scenario. Historically it referred to Jews who lived in Venice formed from the Latin word Glittu – which was considered the Italian ghetto. The term has changed over the course of time and id now the label of any poverty stricken urban area. These areas are considered “bad” areas because of high crime, drugs, prostitution, murder, and high unemployment. The buildings are oft times derelict, abandoned, and destroyed. All of the people in the ghetto are not bad, but the location as a whole receives a stigma of being bad and the people are labeled ghettoized. My grandmother used to say, ghetto is as ghetto does. Simply saying that everyone in the ghetto is not ghetto unless they act ghetto.
Most who live in the ghetto have hopes and dreams of one day getting out of this position. Many young people strive to get educated to elevate themselves so that they can do better and have more. Many parents who live in the ghetto strive to do as much as they can to assure their children have a better life than they did. Striving to move out of the ghetto into the suburbs. But there is more to merely moving from the ghetto, you have to let the ghetto attitude go.
I looked up the term ghetto fabulous. It refers to persons who either try to perpetrate an attitude that they don’t live in the ghetto, by dressing the part. But their attitude and demeanor is still ghetto. Or it refers to those who have made it out, moved up to the penthouse, but simply took the ghetto from the hood to the burbs. Simplified, if you were a crack head in the ghetto and didn’t change your ways when you moved to the burbs, you are still a crack head. If you were a pimp in the ghetto and didn’t change when you moved to the burbs, you are still a pimp. You are playing a role… You are Ghetto Fabulous!
Before Jesus, we were ghetto! Destined to live in the slum of sin. Before we gave our lives to Christ, we were in the ghetto. The ghetto of despair and desperation. Doing what ever felt good, going after whatever looked good, but not really feeling good. Someone offered us an opportunity to move out of our slum state and we grabbed a hold. But did we take the ghetto with us to the salvation suburb? Are we ghetto fabulous in our actions? Are we ghetto fabulous Christians?
Before salvation, we did as we wanted for our own pleasure but were destined to a life where happiness was secured by stuff, peace was based on bank accounts, love was based on sexual gratification, and security could come from alcohol, drugs, or a quickie. But each of these ghetto buildings left us in a desperate state. And we were on our way to the largest ghettoest project housing, “hell”, run by the slumlord king himself, Satan.
But Jesus gave us the opportunity to move from the ghetto. John 3:16 For God so loved --- & Romans 10:8 that if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. This gave us the opportunity to move to the suburbs of Salvation and prepare to move to our mansion in the sky. But if we continue to live the way we did before Christ – we have brought the ghetto with us. Ghetto Fabulous Christians
The scripture Romans 8:28-29 tells us that --We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him. They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose, and he has always known who his chosen ones would be. He had decided to let them become like his own Son, so that his Son would be the first of many children.
God came to the ghetto and said I know you want more, I know you deserve better, it’s time to move on up! I’m going to put in you what is necessary to give you a good life, to have a good heart, to do good deeds, to be a good person.
2 Cor. 3:18 – says So our faces are not covered. They show the bright glory of the Lord, as the Lord’s Spirit makes us more and more like our glorious Lord. Therefore we don’t have to put on heirs on Sunday morning and forget who our daddy is Sunday evening. He has placed in each of us the ability to “JUST SAY NO.”
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8
God wants you to be holy -God’s desire is not that we act holy, His desire is that we are holy. God does not want us to play a part, He wants us to be the part. His desire is that each of us leave the ghetto, and don’t take the ghetto with us.
Ask your self “Am I a Ghetto Fabulous Christian?
2 Cor. 13:5 tells us to examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith; test ourselves. Do we not realize that Christ Jesus is in you – unless of course you fail the test?
When we make excuses for our sin – we are Ghetto Fabulous.
When we justify not doing God’s will – we are Ghetto Fabulous.
When we avoid God and His dominion over our lives – we are Ghetto Fabulous
When we talk a good talk, but our walk is wobbly, We are Ghetto Fabulous
When we speak on how good God is, but complain about what we have or don’t have – We are Ghetto Fabulous.
When we thank God for blessing us, but refuse to bless others, We are Ghetto Fabulous.
When we spend more time getting our clothes together for church than we do preparing our spirit and our heart to receive a word at church, We are Ghetto Fabulous.
When we are eager to gossip but not eager to witness – we are Ghetto Fabulous.
When we can quote Oprah better than we can quote any scripture – we are Ghetto Fabulous
When we say we stand on the promises of God, but are shaken by every wind that blows..we are Ghetto Fabulous.
When we profess to love God, but refuse to love those who we feel have done us wrong… We are Ghetto Fabulous.
When we talk about how God has set us free, but when we want to do something we know is not of God, we say “God knows my heart.” We are Ghetto Fabulous.
When we find it hard to be on time for church, but when we go to the movies we get there in time to see the previews of the previews, we are ghetto fabulous.
When we don’t prepare for the ministries and responsibilities God has given to us to do – we are ghetto fabulous.
When we find it easy to read junk, but difficult to study the word… we are ghetto fabulous
When we want others to pray for us, but we don’t pray for other or ourselves… we are ghetto fabulous
When we complain about others doing wrong, but refuse to address the wrong doing we are ghetto fabulous.
The word of God – James 1:22 & 25b says Don’t just listen to the word but do what it says. Don’t forget what you have heard and you will be blessed.
God does not desire anyone of us to live in the ghetto. God does not desire His children to miss out on His bounty. His heart grieves at every ghetto fabulous Christian action. The angels weep at every salvation snub. Jesus cries out in anguish every time we pimp out our grace. The Holy Ghost mourns each time we take a sinful overdose.
But because Jesus pay the price to get us out of the Ghetto. He came with our deeds to our heavenly home. He died to pay the back taxes of our sins. He got up to secure our ability to move on up.
