God of the Interior

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Blake Barbera

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot” (Matthew 5:13).


We’ve all heard the saying before: “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” If a teacher or mentor didn’t say it, then surely it was said by mom or grandma. The saying is true. You really can’t judge a book by its cover, or at least it would be unwise to do so.

The funny thing is, the old saying “you can’t judge a book by its cover” has almost nothing to do with book covers. It has everything to do with book content – with what’s on the inside.

Have you ever touched water that isn’t wet? How about tasted salt that isn’t salty? Un-salty salt is an oxymoron. In fact, pure salt (sodium chloride) cannot lose its saltiness. So, what was Jesus getting at?

Much like when grandma said, “You can’t judge a book by its cover,” and probably wasn’t talking about books, Jesus wasn’t talking about salt. He was talking about his followers – those who belong to him – and the substance of their hearts.

Here Jesus stresses one of the most important elements of the Gospel message: He didn’t come to create robots or un-salty salt. The last thing Jesus wants is to see our “book covers” all dressed up while our insides are decaying. God is a God of the interior, and His chief concern is not your service toward him or your “appearing” to be his follower. His main focus is your wholeness and restoration on the inside.

Remember, being a Christian is about more than going to church or “putting your best foot forward.” It’s about knowing through Jesus the God who created you and being transformed by that knowing from the inside-out.

Amid life’s business, make time to connect with God personally today. Sometimes on my lunch break, I sit in my car with no distractions, set a timer on my phone for five minutes, and then spend that time focusing on the Lord. You may be surprised at how much “interior work” God can do with what little time we offer him.

 

3 Comments

Thanks for sharing, Karen! I can assure you that we've all been there. Sometimes I'll be right in the middle of fellowshipping with God when suddenly I find myself doing or saying something that I know Jesus would not (especially while driving). But that's what's amazing about Jesus, he knew all of the mistakes we would make even after believing in him and he still chose to die for us. In moments like the one you experienced, once I've asked forgiveness from God and any people involved, I like to take time to thank God for loving me in spite of all my imperfections and mistakes. Thank God that we're saved through grace and not our own ability to be perfect. Take care!
Recently I lost my temper and spoke harshly to the manager of my apartment because she was being rude to me. I responded to her very un-Christian like and apologized to her an hour later. I was ashamed of my behavior, because it was not the way Jesus would have replied. This kind of thing does not happen often, but the inside of me, responding with anger, was not good. Sometimes it is difficult to show love, to reflect God's nature.
This is really helpful, Blake. Especially after poring over this passage these past few weeks! Love your insight here.

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