A POSSIBLE YOU
FINDING GOD’S DESTINY FOR YOUR LIFE
PART 42
THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

There is a popular world view that has become the battle cry for those who hate to live according to the way God’s Word has demanded. The intention of these rebels is to condemn the old way of thinking and promote a “new standard” which is changing the way we think about everything in the name of “freedom.” May I say that I believe there is certainly nothing wrong with seeking and studying spiritual truth for ourselves, and there may be valuable wisdom that we learn, but at the same time there are specific absolutes that are a part of God’s wisdom that cannot be altered or compromised (no matter how intelligent we think we are). Of course we can believe whatever we want, but just because people are convinced of specific views and thoughts – that does not mean it is true. Even if the entire world decided that God and His Word cannot be a reliable source of spiritual enlightenment and perfection – it would not change the reality of absolute truth. This New Order now proclaims that if a person believes an idea is true – it is true to them, and this may be partially correct, but there is only one TRUE truth and when someone believes something that does not agree with God’s Word – it is wrong.

Many views are connected to spiritual doctrines and as we take a glimpse of some of these new “standards” that focus on outward appearance, we notice how it exposes what we really are on the inside. Our image is a visible part of who we are and is the exterior housing that “performs” our thoughts. We are quick to judge and have an opinion instantly when seeing someone because that is how our mind has been programmed. This is why we are so paranoid and sensitive to the way we look because we know that everyone who sees us is doing exactly the same thing we are doing. There is nothing wrong with making sure we are clean and to be aware that it is alright to make a good impression, but may we also be more concerned with being who God made us to be. This explains why in order to have a clear mind and peace within our conscience, we must come to terms with how we look and learn how to accept and “fall in love” with our image. Selah. I know cancer survivors that have had extensive surgeries and are sensitive to the way they look and what others may think. There are many people that are sick, overweight or think they are unattractive and they realize that everyone is noticing them. This is completely normal. The strength of being a survivor is more than just enduring the pain of loss and rehabilitation, it is the knowing within your heart that your life is not finished and that you are the same person (except now you are stronger and wiser). Life is all about allowing the perfect love and beauty of God to be released from an earthly vessel that is not perfect. For those who know God, we realize that He is passionately in love with us no matter what state we are in. If you had a flock of sheep and one of them had a limp, would you not love that one as much as the others? God is the Father of His children and loves each one more than you and I could ever love anyone. This confidence in being loved by the God who made us, fills our heart and mind with strength and hope so that we can face any trial with mountain moving faith. And what is this hope? To know that Christ has promised His people that after this brief life of “training” in this world, we will be given a NEW glorified body that is completely whole, strong and perfect! We will run and dance and sing and be filled with joy and peace forever! Allowing Him to use us in this fragile body, (whatever may happen to it) is the opportunity to demonstrate all of the attributes, fruits, gifts, character traits and attitudes of Christ. We were made to “release” HIS glory!

Being content with the way we look is not the same thing as being content with the way we are! Selah. Many can change their appearance and there are some who cannot unless they receive a miracle. Nonetheless it is the condition of the heart that we should be concentrated on because our highest responsibility to allow God to transform our “heart.” In other words, we do not need to look like a model to have the radiance of Christ shining from us, and likewise we can be strong, healthy and beautiful but be very repulsive and ugly in our personality. In this light, we must ignore the world’s standard idea of beauty and embrace God’s definition of reflecting HIS image. Though He may love each of us where we are in our journey, He is not satisfied when we have no intention or desire to continue with His metamorphous process. The flesh gets all excited when it hears the motivational speeches about how it’s OK to stay exactly like you are including bad attitudes and willful sin because the world’s concept of beauty rarely has anything to do with the “beast” on the inside. God’s idea of true beauty is a heart that is surrendered to Him and has become determined to cast down the beast of wicked thoughts and desires of carnality. Allow me to say that He is far more interested in how serious we are to yield our will and love Him with all of heart than how muscular, toned, shapely, handsome or pretty we are. Amen.

This brings us to an important question; when it comes to physical appearance, who was it that set the “standards” for what is desirable or unattractive? In other words, when we look in the mirror, who are we comparing ourselves to and why do most everyone generally agree when it comes to what looks good and what does not? We can pick up any magazine and see women and men that grace the pages with an extreme amount of confidence and the idea behind the marketing of the physical body and beauty is to cause everyone in the world to dream of the pleasures and satisfaction it would bring to look like that. I personally believe the world has been deceived by this interpretation of what is beautiful. “The Possible You” includes learning and developing in many different areas and one of them is to understand exactly what is going on behind the scenes of reality. The devil controls the “media” and uses the lights and smoke screens of pride to “influence” and SELL his services which include, peer-pressure, intimidation, depression, embarrassment, condemnation, insecurity, fear, doubt, jealousy, resentment, low self-esteem, being self-conscious and a general sense of inadequacy and shame. All of these attacks to our mind can many times be related to how we see ourselves and how we “think” others are judging and creating an image of who we are. There are several things we need to consider in order to enjoy and thrive in who we are and where we are right NOW. Amen.

First, let us settle an issue that many people have tucked away in a closet in the back of their mind. It is common to believe that if we looked more handsome or more beautiful that others would be drawn to us and we would be far more “happy.” Living the dream has many meanings but some are convinced that if they had six-pack abs, a breast enhancement, long flowing blond hair or a symmetrically proportioned body that life would be filled with opportunities and that everyone would not only be envious but would flood them with respect. Allow me to burst the bubble of this lie. The way we look on the outside has nothing to do with who we are on the inside including our level of joy and peace. There have been numerous people that for example have lost impressive amounts of weight and became the physical specimen they envisioned and guess what? They were just as miserable as they were before because technically they were still the same person – only a different version. Yes, it may open the doors to some opportunities but no one really wants people to admire them only because the “the default system” now approves them as more worthy? Worth more to whom? The world of beautiful people is just a collection of pride and arrogance that is very temporal – here today, gone tomorrow! Exercise is fine because it promotes good health but to think that becoming more “shapely” will automatically make you more valuable or loved is going to be very disappointing. In fact, it could make things worse by adding more negative attributes (like vanity) than you had before you started.

We can get into deeps waters fast when we try to figure out just who was responsible for the way we look. Many are angry with God for making them the way they are and see life through a peephole of hopelessness because again they associate the physical with who we really are. They have never received the revelation from God that the real person that God created is our spirit man that is directly connected to the spiritual realm. We must remember that God’s original creation in the Garden of Eden was perfect and the first man and woman likewise were perfect in GODS sight. When sin destroyed the perfect world it affected EVERYTHING including our DNA and opened the floodgates to diseases, deformities, immortality, and imperfections. It would be impossible to answer all the questions about “why” certain people were born with sicknesses or why so many become stricken with devastating health problems in their lives. The truth is that all of us are born under the curse of sin and are vulnerable to the random attacks of an infected environment. It is like when you plant a garden and everything looks so perfect and orderly only to find that within two weeks there are all kinds of tiny sprouts of “weeds” that just “show up.” Where do they come from? They are a part of the default system like everything else that was altered and distorted through the judgment for sin. God is sovereign and He can do whatever He wants in order to accomplish His perfect will and He can intervene in people’s lives in all sorts of ways but I would say that most “exteriors” of the human body are random consequences of an imperfect environment.

When considering what we look like and why we were made a certain way, it is wise NOT to second guess God or allow resentment to infect our heart, but rather it is how we react to the “cards” we have been dealt. Selah. Learning how to trust Him with every ounce of our being must reach a confident level of spiritual maturity because we cannot minister to anyone else until we have something to give and have the faith to do it. When it comes to our external appearance it is all about allowing the beauty of our spiritual love to become the point of “accepting” who we are. We must embrace that God does everything perfect and that He never makes a mistake! “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: MARVELOUS are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” (Psalm 139:14) This includes allowing the power of God to project and generate “through us” to the point where people sense the presence of His Spirit STRONGER than what they are noticing about our physical appearance. If we are only focused and worried about what we look like – so will everyone else! It is when we turn inward and follow His leading that He can use us more effectively than any ideas we may have had about how we look. Shame on us if we were to ever allow our appearance to stop us from serving our maker. Our outside has nothing to do with who we are on the inside! There are individuals that are ministering God’s message around the world that do not have legs or arms while healthy Christians complain that they do not have time or any interest to serve Him. (?)

I have a picture in my office of a girl that was born with no arms that is typing at a computer with a specially made instrument that she holds in her mouth. Her name is Anne Rindfleisch and her personality is very vibrant and enthusiastic and I quote what she said in the interview, “Life is what you make it. If you make it productive and happy – you’ll be happy.” It is obvious that our joy has nothing to do with what we have or what we look like. The decision to be happy in the Lord can overcome all of the doubt in the world. Do not listen to any influence that is not positive and filled with hope! Evil lies are waiting to penetrate our soul with a spirit of rejection and “faith crushing” depression but it is NOT the truth of the Lord. God always speaks the truth and in our times of prayer and communion it is His boundless love that will encourage us.

Being content with our life in God is not the same thing as being satisfied with who we are. We must realize that knowing The Lord is the greatest miracle in the universe but we have much room to improve in the areas of our mental, emotional and spiritual maturity. The world is establishing a politically established way of thinking that everyone must accept each person completely “inside and outside” WITHOUT the need to be changed by the power of God. It seems there has been a terrible misinterpretation of the old hymn “just as I am.” The intention of the song was that the sinner would recognize their hopeless condition and through the conviction of the Holy Spirit would “see” their desperate need for a Savior that can CHANGE them. True, it is God’s promise to the LOST that it does not matter what a person has done, they can come and receive Jesus Christ – just as they are. However, it does NOT mean that God and everyone in the world must embrace what you and I are if we have no intention of surrendering to the power of God’s love. We are to love everyone, but God is not tolerant of a rebellious nature that has decided to live independent from His desire to intervene and transform. Selah. This life is all about embracing the theistic view of obeying His will and submitting to His authority – (not to respect the views of humanism or anyone that teaches the opposite of His Word). This is true worship and true faith that believes everything The Lord creates is beautiful in its own way. Do not allow the devil to prevent you from knowing that you are God’s most valuable possession.