Step outside your door and you are exposed to all kinds of ugly out there in the world. OK, some people don’t even have to step out of their door. We’re all experiencing high exposure to ugly comments, ugly injustices, ugly squabble, ugly arrogance, ugly attitudes, ugly confrontations, ugly language, ugly road rage and a few other ugly messes. There is a growing trend toward ugliness. The financial struggles this year are ugly. The job loss is ugly. Both major political parties seem to have sunk into a new level of ugliness. Public discourse is becoming uglier. As news breaks from day to day we are exposed to all manner of creative ugliness. We hear of ugly weather and ugly moods, situations, architecture, even ugly truths. "Uglyism" lives! Hidden somewhere in the middle of ugliness is blessing and beauty put there by the Creator.
Where is this beauty you query?
Show me the beauty!
Come on….
Just a little peek…
Reveal it!
Well….. It’s you!
You are the blessing and beauty God put right smack in the midst of ugly.
Your love for God produces a sweet spirit that blesses all who can see you.
It starts in our own home, our neighborhood, our church, our community, our state, our country and reaches to the far corners of our world. There is enough need around the world for each one of us to be a blessing every day of our lives. Deuteronomy 8:10-15 warns us not to grow proud in our comfort and fine things forgetting those in need. The Lord has blessed us for the purpose of being a blessing. Paul wrote: "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you" (Philippians 4:9 NIV).
A pearl to string: The most freeing thing we can ever do is to abdicate the throne of our own miniature kingdoms. Our status is infinitely higher as a servant in God’s kingdom than a ruler in ours. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)
You can make a difference every day
You are the beauty the Lord sent
Lyndi
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