Ever have a bad hair day? And if you do, you probably try and fix whatever you can before you go out of the house. We are so concerned with our look good! With how we look to others. Our clothes, cars, houses and you could add to the list. When we go to church we tend to want to look our best. Maybe you make sure you wear the nicest suit you can or the prettiest dress so you can impress someone. We tend to judge people by there outer appearance. Many of us are so good on putting on our "look good" on the outside, but we might be hearting in the inside. We might look like the "perfect Christian" to everyone on the outside by doing the right things in front of people and dressing nice. There is an old saying, " I don't drink, chew, or go out with girls who do".
1 Samuel 16 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, (K)“Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, (L)but the Lord looks on the heart.”
We see here that God looks at our heart! The church today has a problem with being real with each other. Someone might find out that, wait for it, or sinners! We snub our noses at certain people and sins. We rush to our car so we don't have to give our change to a homeless person. We judge the single woman who just found out that she is pregnant. As we judge others by the outward appearance we might be struggling with pride, bitterness, anger, over eating, lust and again the list could go on.
A lot of times we act more like the Pharisees than we would like to admit. Look at the verses below:
Matthew 23:25-28English Standard Version (ESV)
25 (A)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For (B)you clean the outside of (C)the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of (D)greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of (E)the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.27 (F)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like (G)whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and (H)all uncleanness. 28 So you also (I)outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of (J)hypocrisy and lawlessness.
As we look at the above passage could Jesus say this about you? You might do all the religious activities, but are we walking as Jesus did? I struggle with pride. I never thought I did, but the more I grow in Christ the more I see it. I tend to think I am better than others. That's kind of funny since I am nothing without Christ. On my own I made a mess with my life.
It's time! Time for what you ask? It's time for us to focus more on our hearts and minds and less on the outside. I could go and by my almost two year old nephew a brand new suit. Made him look like a million bucks. He would start the day out looking pretty good. What would he look like at the end of the day? He would still look like a two year old. With food on his clothes and that new suit coat might even be ripped or muddy. So when you dress up and look at nice what do you look like at the end of the day. The answer is you. You can try to put on the best looking mask but you come home with your feelings, your thoughts, and your sins.
I think we would be different people if we were honest to our Christians brothers and sisters! I think the world would see a difference if we stopped acting like Christians and being like Christ!
Keep walking....
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