Psalm 107:24 (CSB)
They saw the Lord’s works, his wondrous works in the deep.
The pinata and the iceberg give us an interesting perspective on Kingdom living. In the world of the piñata, you have a beautiful exterior filled with sugary treats and the thrill of the unexpected. It's a colorful spectacle bursting with color, inviting and promising a sugary rush of indulgence at the strike of a bat. But the piñata is hollow. The Pharisees, in Jesus’ day, could have been considered piñatas. Take into consideration what Jesus said about them in Matthew 23:27–28 (CSB), “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside but are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of impurity. In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
A piñata Christian is someone who is busy with spiritual activities; they look wonderful on the outside, yet their souls are empty, running to the next spiritual sugar rush of fleeting happiness.
Now let's consider the iceberg Christian. An iceberg shows only 10% of its volume above the surface, while 90% of its mass is beneath the surface. It serves as a symbol of depth, stability, and substance. Its power is not derived from what is visible but from what is unseen. This represents a faith that is moved by the depth of God's love, as seen in the prayer of Paul in Ephesians 3:18 (CSB), when he prays that they “may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height, and depth of God’s love.” When our faith deepens, the deep things of God transform and direct us, much like how the deep, invisible currents move the iceberg.
The call to follow Jesus is one of depth. We cannot splash around in the shallows of this world and follow Jesus into the depths of his Kingdom. So, dear reader, make it your objective today to grow deep in your relationship with God so that the shifting winds of this world no longer toss you to and fro. Instead, work on increasing your spiritual depth so that you'll only be moved by the deep things of God, as depicted in Psalm 42:7 (CSB), “Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls.”
So the question for today is, do you want to be a spiritual piñata, seeking out only the temporary highs of a quick spiritual fix? Or do you feel the depths of God calling you to be more like an iceberg with a deep faith, driven only by the currents of the Kingdom of God? If so, then focus your heart on being rooted in Christ, for it is in the depths of understanding your position in Christ Jesus that you find your true Kingdom purpose and an unshakable faith.
Dig deep into your prayer life, Bible reading, and study as you aspire to be more like an iceberg. Pass by the temporary, shallow temptations of Christian ease and dig into the depths of your Kingdom purpose. And when you do, you will surely discover the richness of living a life fully anchored in Christ Jesus. It is here that you will experience the power, stability, and peace that passes all understanding which is a result of being rooted in Christ Jesus. So dive in deep today, for deep indeed calls too deep!