I look good on the outside but how am I on the inside?

"I look good on the outside but how am I on the inside?" An elderly man called uncle John would ask this question to the church frequently. We knew these words by heart and would chuckle each time he would say it.

However when I assess my life on this question I can honestly say that I have spent most of my life chasing the outward appearance - wearing trendy clothes, gyming and dieting, wanting affirmation from others. I think it's important to take care of your health, it's one of the things to do and not the only thing.

In the last one year, I have witnessed many of my friends lose their close relatives and I believe thinking about death has given me a better perspective on life. I am realising that life is brief and I need to learn to live it well. I also know that I am growing older. We are all racing against time and the truth is our outer self is wasting away. While taking care of health is important, however of greater value is the atmosphere we build in our hearts. Does it look good? Is my thought life good- does it reflect loving actions to others and self? Is it peaceful or is it envious? Is my heart filled with hatred for an enemy or love?

I am learning that we spend most of our lives chasing pleasures and insignificant things like outward beauty, greed etc. It is of no value. When I ask myself what do I consider beautiful- is it a pretty face of a model for example who has nothing to do with my life or my mum who is wrinkled and yet faithful and steadfast in her love? The answer is that I always have and will prefer love over external beauty. Yet I spend most of my time chasing the former. I know when I ask myself these difficult questions I can honestly say that I haven't arrived where I want to be in my desire to have a beautiful heart. I am learning each day to put my trust in Christ who is the ultimate Beauty cause of His unconditional love and grace. His Spirit gives me the hope in looking good on the inside by learning to love.

Comments

Longing for forever!

Being in the lockdown, I have come to appreciate the stillness, something I am not used to. Life gets so busy and it's like a monotonous routine. I almost felt like a hamster on a wheel. This period of rest has enabled me to slow down and appreciate the things I wouldn't notice because of busyness such as the birds outside my window, the sounds of them chirping every morning. Moreover, me wondering and reflecting as I used to when I was a child, I was so easily amazed at what I was learning. Growing up I somehow lost that and I feel like God is bringing me back to that place where I can be in awe of Him. In one of my conversations with my dear friend I mentioned- " Do you ever wonder why we say best friends Forever or I love you Forever? You know it's not strange that we long for Forever cause it is God who created us with that longing. In Ecclesiastes 3:11 it's written: God has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of...

Out of nothing...

In the beginning, before anything, when there was nothing— You were. Before time, Your Spirit hovered, hovering over the void, over empty space. Then You spoke— O, You spoke and said, “Let there be light,” and piercing the darkness, light came. Such was the world without You; such is the landscape of our hearts— empty, without form, and void. It was nothing. But You spoke again: “Let there be light.” This time, the Word that existed in the beginning became flesh— the Word incarnate: Jesus, the true light for all, Immanuel, God with us. He dwelt among us. He became like us yet without sin. He became curse for us, and was pierced for our sin. Yet we did not recognize Him. Searching for Him in the law, we missed Him. But the law was fulfilled through His perfect love and sacrifice— and still, we did not comprehend. We thought He deserved it. He sees all our thoughts, the motives of our hearts— dark, devoid of love, formless without Christ, nothing but self. Yet He died and took our ...

The King We Didn’t Expect

They expected You to come as a military King to rescue them from Roman oppression. But You came as a Servant King, riding on a humble donkey. Your mission was to rescue us from the sin and selfishness that oppress our souls. But we are still looking for a Saviour to rescue us from the circumstances we are in, but not the oppression within. I am no different from them. I quickly forget and, like Thomas, declare: “I will never believe until I touch His nail-pierced hands and side.” Oh my soul, how quickly you forget how humbly He entered my heart as He entered Jerusalem on a lowly colt. I celebrated and rejoiced when He came and did miracles, singing Hosanna in the highest, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” But when the night came and He submitted to the Father’s will, I find it hard to surrender, thinking it is mine. Seeing God pierced and crushed and chastised, I wonder, Where is His strength? I forget that my sin on Him was laid, that His blood and water c...

Unveiling Heart

Search This Blog