Don’t look at me

This message was brought to me by a few friends of mine in small group. When it was stated, “Paul, we can see by your face that there is some conflict in your mind.” Now I know God is in my heart because of the words I speak and my actions towards others. The words we speak are evidence to what is on our hearts. But what’s the deal with my face?

Okay, I have been told I don’t smile enough….let’s not go there. Yet it’s not just facial but body language as well. The way we use our bodies to communicate is very powerful. Many of us, even though we say one thing, express something quite different with our bodies. Body language is a means of communication through body movements or gestures. Folding arms, a leaning posture, or a squinted face all portray a message without use of words.

If it is true that “what you do speaks so loudly I cannot hear what you say,” then what are you and I saying to Christ with our bodies? Most of us can talk a great game. We know the right words to say. We’ve mastered the right formulas. But our body language has the power either to confirm or to deny what we have spoken.

In John 7:24 we read “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

But regardless of this warning, the majority of the people pass judgment based on appearances. The majority of people allow themselves to be led by first impressions, be it positive or negative, and these influence their attitude and behavior toward others.

So then how do we keep from being deceived if we can’t go by appearances?
Matthew 7:16-20 we read “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. Good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

There are many people in this world that appear to be something that they are not. People that disguise themselves by wearing masks of religions, and that speak eloquent and fancy words. There is but one way for us to distinguish these types of persons from the rest, there is but one way that we can prevent from being deceived.

The way is to examine the fruits that they produce. In other words, although our first impression may be good or bad, although the appearance of a group or individual is good or bad, as true Christians we have to learn to wait on God.

We are called to love, and many will say that this is a great disadvantage, but it is not how many say or think. The love of Christ is our advantage because when a person genuinely loves God’s work; when a person genuinely loves his neighbor as he loves himself, then we are speaking about a person that will look further than the appearance.

We have to examine ourselves carefully because if we find that we are criticizing, envying, and hating, then we must recognize that we are not bearing good fruits. If we are not allowing our life to reflect the love, grace, and mercy of God, then we have to recognize that we are not bearing good fruits. If our life is plagued by disagreements, resentments and disobedience, then we have to recognize that we are not bearing good fruits.

There is no conflict in my mind or heart; I am just thinking things through.

Appearances can be deceiving, let’s be very careful that we may not be deceiving ourselves.