(Further reflections on "Outward Beauty vs Inner Grace"--Sunday 21-Apr-2024)
Materialistic wealth without inner grace/beauty ridicules its beholders. Trying to gain worldly wealth without acquiring godly wisdom is like trying to beautify a "dirty pig" with precious jewelries. Proverbs 11:22 said it best, "Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion."
The word "discretion" can be understood as prudence or taste or discernment. And the world has been somewhat successfully in evangelizing people to focus more on outward beauty than on the inner one. It doesn't need much effort to train the "taste" or "appetite" of people who are already inclined to desiring to spend time/resources on outwardness (how one is being viewed by others) and not inwardness in life (how one is being viewed by God).
Our taste matters. It is like the rudder of a ship. It steers the outlook of our life whether it aims for outwardness or inwardness. Now outwardness is not inherently wrong. But it is foolish and looks ridiculous if the inwardness is ugly, not having godly beauty or inner grace of which one can only acquire by believing in Jesus Christ, who is full of grace and truth--the ultimate embodiment of God's wisdom.
One who is considered biblically beautiful/handsome is someone whose prudence, taste, and discernment is godly and whose character is outwardly expressing godly inner beauty. They are graciousness, kindness, righteousness (by faith), and steadfastness in living righteously and blamelessly. And for the outcome, they will be graciously blessed, that is, with honor, benefits (physically, emotionally, spiritually), reward from and pleasing to the Lord, and deliverance (from dangers or predicament in life).
Now what? Will you be spending more time/energy/resources taking care of the "outward beauty" than "inner grace?" It takes no brain to have the right answer. But the question is, will the right answer turn into the right living? Likely, everyone will say 'yes'. But it is unlikely that everyone will live it out until the end. Why? For one, it depends on how one's taste is willingly to trained in God's word through Jesus' Body-the church. Secondly, it will take ongoing Christlike humility (death to sin and alive in Jesus), surrendering (one's will to God's will) to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and undeterred commitment to hearing-and-doing God's word in every circumstance.
O Lord Jesus, help us to acquire a godly taste/prudence/discernment in this life.
Amen.
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Pastor Lap
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