To hear this Morning Devotion, click We are not defined by our skin
Logic tell us that we are not defined by our skin.
The Enemy sure tries to get us thinking illogically, though, that who we are is, in fact, determined by our appearance.
His mission, of course, is to lure us into believing that our worth as persons is measured by our aesthetics in the eyes of others.
Thousands of plastic surgeons and hundreds of diet and fitness companies make billions of dollars annually, primarily because of this lie.
I was reminded the other day of just how pervasive this lie really is.
I was at the county tax clerk’s office to pay for the annual registration on my SUV. While waiting in line, I heard one of the clerks at another window talk with a 40-something male about his upcoming marriage and how his soon-to-be wife would have to get a new driver’s license which, of course, would involve the taking of a new photo.
“Make sure that she knows a new photo will be taken so that she isn’t surprised when she gets here,” the clerk said. “Some women can be hard to deal with when they aren’t happy with how their pictures turn out.”
If the man would have kept quiet, he would have saved himself some subsequent embarrassment, but instead he chose to speak up.
Or was it the Narcissus whom the man had failed to restrain within himself?
Clearly, the man missed that he was being set up by the clerk.
“Yeah, some women are like that, all right,” he said.
Then the clerk looked at him for a second and then fired the shot heard ’round the office.
“Well, I’ll tell you, sir, that I’ve never had a woman ask for five retakes.”
For a few seconds, the room fell silent.
Wow.
That’s when I saw that the man might have been defining himself by his skin.
That’s when I noticed that he was wearing designer jeans that were too tight, an expensive shirt of the sort worn by high-end fishing guides, a gold earring in his left ear, a fancy watch and an obviously expensive haircut.
And he was single.
At least for now.
He said almost nothing during the remaining 90 seconds of his transaction and then he left.
A 40-something guy that wanted five retakes?
That’s my new definition of someone thinking he or she is defined by the skin.
Middle-age crazy is a bad thing, that’s for sure.
Listen, we are to be defined by whose banner we carry, by whose purposes we serve, by who is living on the throne of our hearts, and by our fruits.
We are not to be defined by how we look in a mirror.
Even Jesus said, “By their fruits you shall know them.”
When people think of you, do they define you by your appearance? Or do they define you by your character and conduct?
Please, seek to be defined by your faith, not by your flesh.
The Bible says that Jesus wasn’t physically attractive, yet think of all He accomplished.
That gives hope and a mission to us all, doesn’t it?
As always, I love you
Martin
