Inside Out

Miracle anti-aging creams. Designer labels. Microdermabrasion. Energy drinks. Viagra. Liposuction. Manicures. Pedicures. Hair extensions. Botox. Restalyn. People are searching for that magic potion that will help them regain their youthful beauty and vitality. No one wants to look like a dried up prune, but the reality is, no matter how well you take care of yourself, you are just not going to look 20-something when you are 50. I'm not sure why anyone would actually want to - but that's another story entirely. We seem to think the way to go is to "fix" ourselves from the outside. Appearances become all-consuming. I think it's actually one of the reasons so many find themselves in the midst of this credit crunch - whether we can afford it or not we want to "look good" to others. Big house - expensive car - designer clothes - we want people to see us as young, successful and sexy. But at the end of the day, the truth is we are tired, wrinkled, stressed out and in debt. Who's fooling who here?

You can never fix anything by only addressing the external. If you want to look your best at the age you happen to be right now, eat well, take the right supplements, drink water, exercise every day, get adequate rest and I guarantee you'll feel great and look wonderful. Whatever you put into your body will be seen on the outside. If you drink alcohol and stay out until all hours partying, it won't take long for the effects to be very obvious. All you need to do is look at some of the older rock stars who are still around to see what I mean.

The same principle holds true in spiritual things. We can go to church, volunteer, say all the right things and look good on the outside, but if our hearts are really not right, it's all smoke and mirrors. You are a human being not a human doing. Ultimately it is not your behavior, your actions, your appearance or what you do that matters. It is who you truly are - inside. Your motives, beliefs, expectations and spirit.

There it is again - inside. The superficial only gets you so far in life. Sooner or later the truth is revealed. There's a passage in the Bible where Jesus is speaking to the legalists of the day and He called them hypocrites. He pointed out that they were very meticulous about all the little, superficial things, cleaning the outside, while inside they were greedy and self-indulgent. He told them to clean the inside first and then the outside will also be clean. (Matthew 23:25) I think there's definitely a lesson there for all of us.

So often we major on the minor. We strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! So I say we get down to the basics - the fruit of the Spirit is a great place to begin: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. Can you imagine what would happen if we concentrated on developing those qualities instead of worrying about a few gray hairs or laugh lines?