I was writing about outward appearance and how God is interested in our hearts, but in the middle of writing a post about how other people like to look righteous with their slogan t-shirts and car bumper stickers I suddenly realised how much I am concerned about how righteous/humble/authentic/real I appear to people by writing blog post about how other people like to appear righteous by their slogan/bumper stickers! Ahhh, the irony. *sigh*
I'll share the last bit of the post though, because I still like it: :)
Then I thought about Jesus, because everything comes back to him really. I'm supposed to be his follower, so what does his life teach me?
Jesus was approachable, he could have come in a blaze of glory displaying his righteousness like a banner with everyone falling at his feet in wonder at his glory which is rightly his in all eternity, instead the King of the Universe when he lived as a man had only one set of simple clothes, he was homeless, his mode of transport was his feet and occasionally a young donkey, as a baby he was cradled in a feed trough and born to a woman not yet married, he didn't care that people called him names for befriending prostitutes and tax collectors because he cared more about the people than his image, he touched the untouchable diseased, he washed the dirty sweaty feet of his disciples, he called his betrayer 'friend', and he forgave those who spat in his face who lashed him to the brink of death and then crucified him.
It wasn't his bumper sticker that told people who he was, it wasn't his clothes, it wasn't his blog post, it was his life.
Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. ~ 1 Peter 3:3-4 ESV
