Inside Out

This morning my children needed to be dropped off for different school functions and then had to be picked up a little later. So, instead of going all the way home only to turn right around and go back to that side of town, I decided to stop by a store I hadn’t been to in a long time. Now, the reason I hadn’t been there is because the store is full of clothes and anyone who knows me knows I don’t need any more clothes. So, I told myself I would run in real quick and then go pick up my son.

Well, after I had been there a while and it was getting closer to the time I needed to leave, I was approached by an older man whose clothes were worn, tattered and not the cleanest. He was missing several of his teeth and his hair and nails were not manicured. He was not carrying the most fashionable man bag and what I smelled was not the aroma of the sweetest cologne. His speech wasn’t the most articulate and he admittedly shared that he was an uneducated man. But after talking with him for just a few minutes, I quickly realized he was not there to see what I was willing to give to him. He was there to see what He could give to me.

Just from the words that flowed out of his mouth, even though his clothes may not have looked presentable to the physical eye, I could tell he wore a robe of righteousness. Even though he was missing some of his teeth, the joy he had inside was made evident by the most beautiful smile. Sure, his hair and nails were not manicured, but I could tell he had been washed in the blood of the Lamb. No, he wasn’t carrying the most fashionable man bag, but he was carrying the infallible Word of God. What I smelled was not the aroma of sweet cologne but the aroma of the sweet Holy Spirit. Even though he wasn’t educated or articulate, it was evident that he studied to show himself approved and he communicated what he knew in the most amazing way.

So many of us dress up in our nice clothes, drive our fancy cars and enjoy our “me time” as we splurge on ourselves and enjoy our massages, manicures and materialistic possessions. And I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with any of those things. But how many of us have actually taken the time to share the message of the gospel with someone else in the midst of all of that? This gentleman was on a mission. He wasn’t going to let anyone walk away without knowing they either already had a relationship with Jesus Christ or that he had properly introduced them to Him.

About half-an-hour later, when we finally wrapped up our conversation, he and I both walked away blessed and encouraged. Now be honest. What came to your mind as I initially painted the description of this gentleman to you? How many of you would have avoided eye contact or would have abruptly ended the conversation before it could even begin? Yes, I know we live in a crazy world today and we have to use wisdom in situations like these. But all too often we miss out on the blessings God wants to give us and on opportunities to be a blessing to others because they aren’t wrapped in a pretty package and they aren’t embellished with a beautiful bow.

Sometimes we aren’t even willing to fully pursue what God has called us to do because we don’t want to give up the comforts of this life in order to help someone else receive eternal life. Well, that’s exactly what this gentleman has done. He shared with me that he gave up his good paying job in 1985 so that he could spend his days in the streets sharing the gospel with people. So, how dare we call unclean what God has made clean. How dare we judge from the outside as bad what God judges from the inside as good. And shame on us for ever looking down on someone who may not appear successful in the natural but is producing much fruit and prospering in the Kingdom.

So what’s your excuse today? What is the “reason” you’ve convinced yourself that you can’t yet do what it is you believe God is calling you to do? Let’s be encouraged today by the example of my new friend. Let’s not be so focused on the outside and start focusing on the inside. Let’s start spending half as much time focusing on what we look like to others on the outside and twice as much time focusing on what we look like to God on the inside. Let’s stop judging people based on what they look like on the outside and let’s start getting to know the hearts of people on the inside. Let’s stop worrying about what we don’t have outside of us and start operating in what it is God has already placed on the inside of us. From this day forward, let’s start living inside out.

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