What Do YOU See When You Look At Me?

A few weeks ago, something came to me while I was praying that prompted me to grab the closest paper and pen and recorded exactly as I had received it.  I didn't realize how many times occasions would arise to share it.  So here it is for already who hasn't heard it from me yet.

"A person of low character can fake a grand appearance.  But a person of high character will not portray a base appearance.  The stronger your character grows the more it will be reflected in your appearance."

Now I'm not going to be so bold as to say that God gave that to me, but to spontaneously come up with a profound and complete thought on a topic I hadn't even been thinking or praying about...well....it doesn't happen often.

Admit it. As soon as some of you saw the word "appearance", you probably switched gears mentally, and may have even surfed on past this page by now.  "Oh, no, here she goes, she's about to use the "S" word!!!  Nobody wants to hear another STANDARDS pitch..." Now if you've made up your mind to feel that way about any and all such discussions, I can't change that.  But, if you are open to consider things from as many perspectives as possible to make sure you are making the best choices for your life, then hear me out.

Some of you read the statement and immediately "got it".  Maybe you've experienced it in your own life, this "falling away" of weights as you seek His Face more and more.  But some of you may still struggle -- as I did for many, MANY years -- with the questions:

·         Is this what the Bible really means?
·         Is this just man-made traditions?
·         Are these things salvational?  (btw - that IS a word, I looked it up!*)

Now I could go on a soapbox here about people just wanted to do the minimum to get by, but you've heard plenty of those, I'm guessing.  So I'm just gonna do what I do best and give an analogy.  A Renanalogy. 

When I shared the note I wrote with my daughter, she said, "Okay, what does that mean?" So I came up with this analogy:

You could take a streetwalker, quote possibly a kind, good-hearted woman, but, by nature of her profession, if nothing else, a woman of "loose morals".  You could scrub her face and put her in modest dress and do her hair and sit her next to the pastor's wife and she would look the model of holiness. But nothing about her insides will have changed.

On the other hand, think of your pastor's wife (or any lady you know in your heart to be a true follower; a prayer warrior, the epitome of a "daughter of Christ".) She is not going to put on garb to resemble that street walker on her way to work.  And if you ever DO see her suddenly deviate from what is her norm, that will suggest to you that something on the INSIDE has shifted.  That would be my signal -- not to judge her -- but to assume she is experiencing spiritual struggle in her soul and take her to the Throne of God in prayer.  Just as I hope and pray anyone would do for me.

As long as being accepted by the people around us is a primary goal in life, that will be evident in how we choose to attire ourselves.  But if praying outweighs partying and reading the Word trumps recreation, there will be visible evidence of those choices as well.

The deeper we bore into the Word and the more we study and pray and climb ourselves toward God where only HE is our focus, these other things fall away.  Things that aren't necessary to enter His presence or seek His face anyhow. Sometimes those "things" are things we put on to satisfy our own vanity; sometimes to garner admiration from those around us.  The face we masquerade behind to appear happy on the outside**, isn't needed to go before The One Who so completely knows our inside anyhow.

I'm done.

(at least for now)

If you opened this page, already knowing what I have written, it may be something you'll want to share. 

If you struggle and are torn over these matters, perhaps I've given you a different perspective. 

And if you disagreed before you started, but read up to this point anyhow, I'm completely okay with you not agreeing -- because I didn't always agree with it either!  But I challenge you not to change one single solitary thing about yourself until God Himself tells you to.  But seek His will, and ask Him often, "Lord, is this pleasing to you?  Or is that?"  He IF and WHEN a thing is important, He WILL let you know, but we have to be willing to hear the answer, even if it isn't the one we were hoping for.

* sal·va tion·al adj.b. A source, means, or cause of such preservation or deliverance

**After a couple of years of working with the same secular therapist she commented that she knew when I walked in that day we would have a good session.  I joked asking if she was a psychic, now, too.  She said "No, your makeup told me.  I can tell by the amount of makeup you have on when you walk through the door what kind of a week you've had or what kind of a session it's going to be.  If you have on little or no makeup, you've had a good week and are feeling good about yourself.  But the more makeup you have on the more work we will have to do."  And this was from a woman who was no stranger to the cosmetics counter herself.  I just found that to be very interesting, even more so when looked at from a spiritual standpoint.