Good on the Outside

We all strive to look good on the outside. We take care of our hair so that others will take notice of us. We wear nice and, at times, uncomfortable clothes so we can fit in with the right crowd. We buy moisturizers, makeup, and concealers so people won’t see our actual flaws. We go to the gym so we can grow big muscles that we will only use at the gym and so that others will be impressed by how strong we are. We spend much time working on our outsides because that is easier than working on our insides. Jesus didn’t care about the way people looked on the outside. Jesus didn’t care how many birthdays you had seen. Jesus didn’t care about the color of your skin or the numbers in your bank account. Jesus saw beyond the surface and wanted to heal the inside. One overriding sin can cause all kinds of trouble. You see, a single sin never stays a single sin. When King David lusted, that sin sent fingers into almost every part of David’s character and his soul. Just one sin controlled David so much that he became an adulterer, liar, and murderer, and he included others in his sin. The same thing can happen to all of us. Sin always leaves a mark, and it can only be overcome by the power of Jesus Christ. Before this cancer journey, I looked good on the outside. I had no idea how much was wrong on the inside. My cancer, Multiple Myeloma, was causing all kinds of issues throughout my entire body. This little cancer made my bones weak, giving me anemia and kidney issues. This little cancer was starving the rest of my body of healthy red blood cells. The Doctors could have chosen only to attack each symptom, not the disease. The symptoms might have gone away for a short time, but they would have returned because the root of the issue remained. With my body, the Doctors are attacking the root issue, and the other problems seem to improve as the root issue is addressed. I will carry some of the residual scars, maybe for the rest of my life, but they are just a reminder of the healing that has taken place. In your spiritual walk, you must figure out the root sin that allows all other sins to access your life. Often time people lie because pride is their ruler. People take from others because they have never dealt with greed. Just as I will be taking pills for some time to come, all of us need to take prayer as a prescription from God to help us grow in our walk with Him. In Him J. Tom Washburn