For many years of my life I was more worried about what I looked like on the outside than I was on the inside. No I don't physical appearance, but I mean looking like I had it all together. I'm talking about living in such a way that everything always appears good on the outside, but you wouldn't dare want to show someone what is going on on the inside of you.
There are many reasons we put up this facade to those around us. It may be that we are so full of pain that we wouldn't want someone to know exists. It may be that we are so full of shame that we don't someone to see. It may be that we have a complete lack of self esteem so we put up this fake act to make it appear that we are confident. Or maybe we are so damaged on the inside that we just put on a happy face today and hope that nobody can see how fake it is. Or, like me for so long, it may be that you are just so empty on the inside that you have to fill your life with so many other things just so you don't have to deal with your own emptiness. What ever the reason(s) you are trying to fool those around you is, there are 2 people who really know what is going on inside of you ALL that time. You are one of those people....and God is the other. (yes I realize God is not a "person") And no matter how hard to try to fool, trick or please those around you....you cannot fool yourself or Him. But the funny thing is, we do convince ourselves that we can even fool God sometimes. How do we do this? Maybe we try to overcompensate the "good acts" that we do on the outside of our life in hopes that He won't see the ugliness that is really in us. Maybe we throw in a selfless act in every once in a while in hopes that he will overlook our real selfishness. Or maybe we just say yes to every person that "needs" something so at the end of the day we can try and say "see God, I'm a good person". But nonetheless, we are not fooling Him. God does not look at our acts and determine the person that we are because of them. He looks at our heart. And He knows when we allow Him to deal with our heart, then the person that we really are will determine our acts. We will quit doing all the right things for all the wrong reasons. In fact, we will quit doing anything and everything that is not in his will. God wants the things we do to sow into His kingdom. He does not want us doing what we like to call "random acts of kindness"...but instead He wants us doing very purposeful acts of kindness. Very meaning for acts of service toward others. He does not want us doing things to please man, but He wants us doing things to please Him. And when we do HE will pour out His favor on our lives. Things will start to take a different direction not because we are trying to be a people pleaser and so we can have everyone convinced our life is good, but because our life really is good and people can really begin to see that. When this happens people won't want what you have because that way your life looks on the outside, but instead they will desire what you have because the way you operate on the inside. And there is a big difference there. People can see peace, love and joy inside of someone. Not the fake kind that comes from the right job, enough money, the right house or even the right "clout"....but the kind that comes from allowing Jesus to change you and fill you on the inside. The kind of peace and joy that is alive on the inside that makes you smile and praise God even if all those things fell apart tomorrow.
One of the things I love about John the Baptist is that He knew his purpose was to exalt Jesus. He could have made more of himself, but he was not here to make himself look good. And from what we read about him he was even a bit strange on the outside, but on the inside.....on the inside He was driven, determined, full of truth and a love for God and Jesus. He wasn't out to please "man", but to exalt Jesus! I think He said it best in John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease". When we allow Christ to shine in us, we do not lack! There is no ugliness in us, no emptiness in us, no shame in us, no more pain in us, no more disappointment in ourselves in us...and our self esteem issues....well when we realize our identity is in Jesus and then we esteem Him, not our selves...so even those can go away! We do not desire to fool, fake or please man anymore. We live each day to honor God and He finds new ways to show us love, grace, mercy and blessings!
God, Thank You that you see us for who we really are....and You LOVE us! You know every detail of our lives, but you desire us! You knew who we would be and the things we would do, but you sent Your Son to die for us. You have always made a way for us! Please help us to see that YOU are the only one we need to please. And help us to not fool, fake or please our way through life, but to allow true change to take place on the inside of us so that our outsides will reflect the people you have made us to be. In Jesus name, Amen
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