{"id":46737,"date":"2006-05-22T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2006-05-22T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/mary-j-blige-trying-to-reconcile-bling-with-god\/"},"modified":"2006-05-22T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2006-05-22T00:00:00","slug":"mary-j-blige-trying-to-reconcile-bling-with-god","status":"publish","type":"sermon-illustrations","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/mary-j-blige-trying-to-reconcile-bling-with-god\/","title":{"rendered":"Mary J. Blige: Trying to Reconcile Bling with God"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Hip-hop music artist Mary J. Blige was asked the following question in an interview: &quot;Mary, you&#39;re a devout Christian; how do you reconcile bling with God?&quot;<\/p>\n\n<p>She responded: &quot;My God is a God who wants me to have things. He wants me to bling! He wants me to be the hottest thing on the block. 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