Thursday, November 10, 2011

God looks beyond all those things that people might consider ugly.

The Lord doesn’t make decisions the way you do. You judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at your heart and your thoughts and intentions’ (1 Samuel 16.7). All humans are made in the image of God. In an image-obsessed world, that’s something to think about. The Bible isn’t talking about what God looks like, but how he is - a Creator God who loves others for who they are, and seeks their love in return. God looks beyond your nose, which you might think is too long, and your feet, which you might think are too big. He looks beyond whether you think you are too tall or too short or too heavy or too thin. He looks inside your heart and sees what is there. He searches for a heart that will accept His love. God is no respecter of persons. It doesn’t make any difference what you look like. He wants a heart that is ready to receive his love, and reflect that love to others. God doesn’t see the imperfections, the scars and scrapes. He looks straight into your heart. Is there love inside of you that reflects the love of God so that others can see Him? According to Jesus, ‘purity of heart’ isn’t about believing the right things. It isn’t about going through the right motions. It’s doing the right things with right motives. Before God can deliver you from yourself, you must undeceive yourself. You need unmixed motives, and transparent integrity. Purity of heart isn’t just the absence of certain negative things in your life; it’s the very presence of God in you. Jesus wants you to have a ‘pure’, ‘clean,’ ‘unmasked’ heart. A pure heart is a forgiven heart. It’s a heart that has been cleansed by the purifying blood of Jesus Christ. A pure heart is one that is in a relationship with God; that repents of sins and seeks inward purity. Purity of heart cleanses the eyes of the soul so that God becomes visible. When Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart,” he was pronouncing blessing on those who are pure at the very centre of their being, at the very source of their every activity, not those who appear pure on the surface. In fact, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for symbolically washing the outside of their lives, while leaving the inside dirty. If you are experiencing loneliness and rejection, then know that God looks beyond all those things that people might consider ugly and unattractive. He looks at your heart. He looks for love. He looks for purity. If you have those things, you’re beautiful in God’s sight.

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