“Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” (1Peter 3:3-4 NLT)
Each week the youth group collected items for a fundraising project. Friday night scavenger hunts became a tradition of the fundraiser. It was always an adventure because one never knows what treasure might be discovered in the least likely places. There was always competition between the youth to see who could find the most valuable item.
Jeremy, the newest member of the group, however viewed things differently. Anything regardless of its perceived value was special to him. In Jeremy’s eyes an item didn’t have to be perfect or extremely valuable to be important and treasured.
I think Jeremy had the right perspective. Too often we reject people and things because of their perceived imperfections or worth. We ignore our own blemishes and faults. One congregation wanted to remind the pastor of the important stuff. They inscribed the following statement on their pulpit: We Would See Jesus.
Perhaps with a little effort and practice, we could all look beneath the surface and find Jesus in every situation and person. We might not be able to see the hearts as our Lord does, but we can certainly try.
Dear Father, thank you for looking beyond our faults. Improve our perspectives and sharpen our sensitivity. Enable us to hear the unspoken issues and see the interior instead of the exterior. I pray this in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be courageous today with a new perspective,