“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘…The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” I Samuel 16:7 (NIV)
When I was a kid, I hated my freckles. I actually tried to scrub them off with soap and water many times. I was also very skinny and taller than almost everyone in my class, including the boys. In the eighth grade, I acquired the nickname “bird legs”, which I tried to act like didn’t bother me. But it did. My parents told me that, one day, I would appreciate my height and my bird-like legs. Ha! Not a chance, I thought. Last but not least, I inherited my grandfather’s large ears, so I tried to never wear my hair in a ponytail. However, being a cheerleader for 5 years proved this feat highly difficult. I would pray to God every night for Him to change these things about my body that I did not like. Now that I’m in my forties, I can look back and see how those changes have taken place. While my freckles have faded and I actually do appreciate my height and bird-like legs, my ears grew right along with everything else. They’re still quite large, at least to me. Well, two out of three isn’t a bad ratio, right?
Actually, only one of those three actually had a physical change. The other two changed in my heart. How much emphasis do we, especially as entitled Americans, put on the perfection of our physical body? Just look at the beauty industry. From plastic surgery all the way down to a daily skin care routine and everything in between, it’s a multi-billion dollar industry. All of this time, attention and money are being spent on how we look on the outside when at the same time we are taking prayer and the Bible out of our schools and all public places. Many of us are upset about this, but how many of us are filling those voids in our lives and the lives of our children by purposefully taking the time to pray and read scripture in our homes every day. What if you added up what you spent in one month on beauty products and the like, and then spent the equivalent on spiritually-based books, feeding the needy in your community or even saving that amount to go on a summer mission trip with your children? While there is nothing wrong with paying attention to our outward appearance (God made us in His image as Genesis 1:26 says), our heart should be our first priority. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
Proverbs 27:19 says, “As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.” It doesn’t take long to see what is most important to someone. What are you spending your time, money and effort reflecting?
My ears may be the first things you see when you first meet me, but I hope soon after that you forget those ears and see me for what I am trying to reflect – the heart of God. Have a purposeful week!
Comments
Emma jean Vocker:
missy, I get complement almost every day .,but looking in the mirror I just don’t see it. I’m 82 yrs old & still get complements mostly on my hair.i hope they can see my love for Jesus & not my physical appearance. I live close to you all. & would love to meet you. it sure would impress my grand & great children. Love your show.
Mar 08, 2016
Vincent Boisvert:
On one of the show went your son come home.I saw that he had a tattoo.I saw that you were your not too happy.How did you go about to deal with it. My hushand have a tattoo before he got save Our son do not had a Tattoo but as grandparent had some concern. Bible how do you teach them not to. As a christan how do you cope with that.Mar 08, 2016
Pam:
Your comment about your ears crack me up. I have never ever once even noticed your ears. And looking at them now, they don’t look big to me. :)
Anyway, that aside, I appreciate your devotional b/c I have been going through a journey to accept myself the way God made me. He made me just the way He wanted me to be and I have found peace with that. (I am referring to my height at 5’ even, short but I am ok with that now).
Thanks for the encouragement, Missy. I know the inside is the most important and what the Lord looks at.
Have a blessed day.
Mar 03, 2016
Kim:
Many many years I have hated my body. I would try to lose weight and soon it returns. Since high school I have weighed 215-230 lbs. One day a few weeks ago I was starting to hate my body again when I looked at my closet. Then a voice said to stop it. Love that voice. I told my husband I have weighed this since high school and now that this year I am turning 40. I need to love what God gave me. 220 lbs is my average since high school it must be what God wants me to be. So I just need to start loving me. Since then I have felt much better when I look in the closet or look in the mirror and see my Turkey neck!
Mar 01, 2016
Cindi:
God gave us those imperfections and I accept them with Grace
Mar 01, 2016
Meredith:
What perfect timing to read this, as I just went shopping yesterday and left every store feeling defeated about my body! What a great reminder that our identity is in Christ alone! My husband actually loves the very parts I struggle with about my body, and my boys are too young to understand this issue…but living in a household of males, I’m conscience of being healthy and active and having the right mindset/good attitude about it. I just wish this message would reach more males, as there are such unrealistic expectations out there.
Thanks Missy for this post!! And PS, I’ve never noticed your ears, and I’ve seen every episode of DD! Xoxo
Mar 01, 2016
Vanessa Murry:
It’s so nice to hear vanity addressed in this day…..thank you Missy! You are so right! You have such class and poise…keep on spreading the word on this subject…America needs to hear it! And I’ll pray the right people can hear this message and receive it deep in their hearts. ?
Mar 01, 2016
Heather:
With a teenage daughter consistently picking herself apart this tugs at my heartstrings. Even though we homeschool so she misses much of the peer pressure for perfection it is so insinuated in our culture…to our detriment…that it is hard to not be reminded daily of our “flaws”. Thank you for this post. My daughters and I will read it together again this evening. We are all beautiful in the eyes of the Lord, that should be all the comfort we need.
Feb 29, 2016
lynn s vest:
I love all of y’all. Keeping GOD first is the main thing. Y’all are truly an inspiration to all of is. Thank you for sharing. Oh how is wish and hope we would all be like that. It’s beautiful. I hope and pray for everyone to love our LORD like that. Your such a beautiful soul missy. I wish one day that I could meet y’all. That would be a real blessing to me. Y’all are such good christian’s. Thank you for what y’all do. By keeping GOD first before anything else. Y’all are a very beautiful family.
Feb 29, 2016
LEXIE YOUNG:
WOW MISSY!!! WHAT A POWERFULLL MESSAGE.
LEXIE *AS A BEAUTY QUEEN & TITLE HOLDER, I STRUGGLE EVERYDAY TO BE THAT “PERFECT 10” & IT HAS REALLY TAKEN IT’S TOLE ON ME. I AM TIRED & WORN OUT. I JUST WANT TO BE ME. YOUR MESSAGE HAS INSPRIRED ME TO DO JUST THAT.
WISH ME LUCK.
THANKS MISSY!!!
❌❤⭕
Feb 29, 2016
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