Outside Inside
The people I know and work with every day are like me – they care about how they look on the outside. I think most people care about their outer appearance – it’s been proven on YouTube that some people really don’t care about their outer appearance. I’m learning to look past the outward person trying to discover their heart. The inside of a person is hidden. They may look healthy, but they could be sick and not know it. They can look beautiful outside, but inside they are miserable and hate filled. I believe if I’m around a person long enough I can see their heart. I know people who are not Christ followers who are nice and have good hearts. I’ve also seen people who would call themselves Christ followers but after being around them, I might wonder about their heart. I am not the “Lawgiver or Judge”, and I believe it’s very dangerous to pass judgement on a person’s heart – that is God’s territory. I can notice the actions of a person. The inside of a person is more important than the outside.
6 For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.
16 Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. 18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:6,16-18 CSB)
As my body gets older and my life gets longer, I need to keep renewing my heart. I want my heart to be refreshed and renewed each day. I believe as I invest in my heart that my “outside activities” will be a reflection of what is going on inside.
I’m not a “push over” or a “wimp”, but I want to remain calm in the midst of chaos. I want to think clearly in the face of conflict. I want to live my life from my heart where Jesus is Lord. I’m learning to be less concerned with what age is doing to my hair or my skin and focus on building and growing my heart. (Side Note: I do need to carve out time for cardio/exercise to keep my physical body going stronger and a bit longer.) My physical exercise can never replace my spiritual exercise.
Pressing On!
Dwayne