Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky. ~Philippians 2:14-16 (NIV)
We all want to shine, right? We all want to look good and accomplished, correct? Scripture teaches of a different sort of shine that we can all possess, and it has to do with the “hidden man of the heart”. No one can make us shine like the Lord can make us shine. Our works for Him are a light to others because in all reality He is doing the work through us. What others see on the outside is just a by-product of what is really going on inside. When we are allowing the Lord to have His way in our hearts and lives it is evident. Just as when we are not it is evident. To either our joy or our dismay what is going on inside of us will come out and that for the most part by what we say. God tells us about that inner person in 1 Peter 3 teaching us “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” (NIV) Take for instance a smile. It can light up a room and a life! Proud parents and grandparents can attest to this, and children are a perfect example of the unhindered, unobstructed joy of the Lord we can all carry in our hearts.
Nothing makes a person shine from the inside out like a grand smile! It does not matter how smart we look with our Luis Vuitton purses or how fab and stylish our Saks and Prada wardrobe look, at some point people are going to see who we are on the inside anyway. One of the best things we can work on if we want to shine is our inner man, but it’s also the hardest. We have to get rid of our negative ideas about ourselves and others and replace them with the positive. The Lord says we should be thinking about whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report. That, by the way, is also what we are to be saying about ourselves and about others. Putting ourselves and others down definitely dulls our finish. We can’t possibly be saying something negative with a smile on our face. Ask yourself this question: In the pressure cooker of life, does your inner man exemplify a joyful, gentle, and quiet spirit or does he "rear his ugly head"? Building a closet to die for is nothing compared to building a healthy mind set and a good character. Start out today by “doing everything without grumbling or arguing”. That’s one habit we can lose, and scripture says it will polish us up to shine like jewels. Just like you build a house one brick at a time, you build your character and a strong mind one choice at a time. The Lord promises us that those good choices will not only bless our life but will carry on in the lives of our children. Every choice you make is an investment. Choose to live a life that makes you shine before others!
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. ~Deuteronomy 30:19 (NIV)
What negative ideas do you have about yourself or others that you need to get rid of?
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