Forrest Gump: My momma always said,
“Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
It appears mysterious, that box, on the outside. Who knows what kinds of chocolates are inside? Then you open it and see the forms and shapes of the various chocolates.
Ultimately though, you know what you are going to get: chocolate. I admit that if you are getting a box of chocolates gifted to you, yes, you will not know what is inside. Life is a gift after all, so this quote makes sense.
Chocolates come in various shapes, sizes and flavors. Chocolates refer to the choices that we make in life which will eventually shape our future. When we pick that chocolate, we are actually picking a path. The bite that we take is the journey of that choice.
Is it a sweet or bitter travel?
I feel this quote can also be applied to how we choose people in our lives.
You never know what you are going to get.
You can’t always tell what a person is really like by looking at the outside. Some people may be beautiful on the outside, but they may be very mean, selfish, and hateful on the inside. Some people may not be very beautiful to look at, but on the inside they are loving, gentle, and kind, which is the way God wants us to be.
We must be careful when choosing the people in our lives.
You can't compare your insides with everyone else's outsides."
Brennan Manning
This world will tell us if we are not beautiful, smart, wealthy, or slim, then we are of no value. This is the opposite of what God tells us. God can use us no matter what we look like.
As a Christian, we must learn to hold to the things of this world loosely, then they will serve us and not us them. When we became Christians God polishes those rough edges away and helps us to become beautiful where it counts. God helps us to get rid of all those nasty things we have in our hearts and if we allow Him too, He will replace them with beautiful things. He changes us from the inside out.
There is nothing wrong with being beautiful on the outside. It’s good to take care of yourself and make yourself look good, but it is more important to be beautiful on the inside.
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”
That means we should spend more time trying to be a good person than worrying about how we look.
“Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Remember what Jesus said about the Pharisees;
Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
Matthew 23:5-7
Jesus is saying your righteousness must be on the inside. He is calling for clean heart not just a clean shirt.
25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
Matthew 23:25
Jesus compared the practices of the Pharisees to washing dishes. They polish and shine the outside of the cup while the inside is full of filth. They made special effort to clean the outside but their heart was full of filth.
With the pressures of this world we need to stay focused on God's word and ask God to reveal to us anything that is offensive to Him. He will help us clean our inside so it shines on the outside.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Let’s trust in Jesus and ask for His guidance everyday. Beauty comes from within. Let's let our light shine from within us and be a blessing to this world.
It's what's in the inside that counts.
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