A New You

We become like that which we behold. We will never be transformed into the likeness of God or be conformed to the image of Christ Jesus until we learn how to behold His beauty. To see Him is to be like Him. As David beheld the beauty of the Lord, as he meditated on the glorious perfections and passions of God's character, he became more like God. More than that, he fell ever more in love with God. Sam Storms

Many are ashamed to be seen as God made them; few are ashamed to be seen what the devil hath made them. Many are troubled at small defects in the outward man; few are troubled at the greatest deformities of the inward man; many buy artificial beauty to supply the natural; few spiritual, to supply the defects of the supernatural beauty of the soul.  Abraham Wright

I listen to the news in the morning before I leave for work.  There was a commercial on this morning that talked about finding the “True” you.  As I listened it talked about how this company could bring out the true you with eye lifts, face lifts, tummy tucks and any other number of external changes that would turn you into the “true” you.

I started thinking about all the surgeries this business wanted to do so that you could encounter the true you.  I admit we live in a vain society that places great value on looks.  The sad reality is we often buy into what society believes is important.  There are even some who will go into these places and pick from pictures whose nose they would like theirs to look like.  I guess that would mean you are finding someone else’s you.

It started me thinking about God the Master Craftsman.  He created each of us and we are all part of who He is.  Yet many times we want to change what He created.  We want to be taller, shorter and prettier (by the world’s standards).  In many countries there are people who are willing to allow people not trained in medicine, to perform major surgery to make them more attractive by their countries standards even to the point of death.

We have lost sight of what God created.  God doesn’t look at the outer package.  He is looking for what is inside. You can have all the surgeries the world has to offer, but if what’s on the inside isn’t pretty no amount of outer surgery will fix the inner you. 

    

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, we live in a society that places great value on looks.  We spend billions of dollars every year on the external and very little on the internal.  Keep reminding me that what is on the inside is the most important.  Help me to spend my time working on the inside.  I think what we often miss is the more beautiful we become on the inside, the more radiant we are to those around us.  That is the reflection of You in us.  I pray for that radiance.  It’s called the “Light” in me.   

      

Scripture: Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  Genesis 1:26-27