Is What You See What You Really Get?
By Karen D’Amore
“If someone claims, “I know Him well!” but doesn’t keep His commandments, he’s obviously a liar. His life doesn’t match his words. But the one who keeps God’s word is the person in whom we see God’s mature love. This is the only way to be sure that we’re in God. Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived.”
1 John 2:4-6 (The Message)
On the surface, the lump in my head appeared small and insignificant. But given my history of cancer, I opted to have the lump examined. The doctor concurred with my thoughts, but ordered a pre-cautionary biopsy. Surprisingly, the biopsy exposed that the lump was a cancerous tumor. Based on the external appearance of the lump, the doctor felt confident that we were catching the cancer in its early stage.By Karen D’Amore
“If someone claims, “I know Him well!” but doesn’t keep His commandments, he’s obviously a liar. His life doesn’t match his words. But the one who keeps God’s word is the person in whom we see God’s mature love. This is the only way to be sure that we’re in God. Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived.”
1 John 2:4-6 (The Message)
Awake for the entire surgical procedure, by the seventh hour, I was physically and emotionally…DONE! My sense of humor dwindling, I still managed to chuckle as the exhausted, perspiring surgeon announced, “It’s a boy!” as the large tumor was finally extricated from my head.
In the post-op follow-up, the surgeon shared the technical intricacies of the surgery. Referring to the abnormal tumor as an “anomaly,” he was taken aback by what he discovered under the skin. Based on his external findings, he was stunned by the size and complexity of the tumor, which had attached to the skull. Truly, his internal findings did not align with what was visible on the surface. Both myself and the doctor learned a valuable lesson: "What you see is not always what you get!"
As Christ followers, we must examine our hearts and lives and ask ourselves, "Is what people see, what they really get?" Is our outer life a true reflection of the inner Jesus? Though our hearts are not externally visible, out of our hearts our lives should speak! Scripture tells us that if we have allowed Jesus to take up residency in our hearts, the fruit of that intimate relationship will be visible in our external lives. What do others see when they look at our outer lives? Will people know that we belong to Jesus by the way that we act and speak? Does our lifestyle align with the type of life that Jesus lived? A routine "spiritual biopsy" is a healthy practice to incorporate into our daily lives; a precautionary check that the Jesus in our heart…is the Jesus our lives reflect.
GOING DEEPER:
1. What inner fruit is growing in your character and what outer fruit is evident in your life?
2. How can you better allow God to work through you to bring Him glory?
FURTHER READING:
Matthew 7:16-20; Philippians 2:5; John 15:4; Galatians 5:22-23; Proverbs 20:7; Malachi 3:18
Married to husband Dan, Karen manages Intrigue Salon & Spa, is the administrator for Oakwood’s Tuesday a.m. Bible Study, and co-leads a freshman girls’ small group.
