Dress Your Best

Why do I bother applying make up on Sundays? I promise myself every single Sunday that I am not going to lose it like some ding-a-ling during worship! I am not going to bawl my head off as soon as I start singing the words to the first worship chorus. I am not going to do the "ugly cry" with my nose running, make up smearing and and red face puffing. I tell myself that every week, every week, ya'll!

I never make good on those promises. It's almost as if the Lord has a sense of humor about my pride in appearance and makes me choke on it every week. My momma used to say that you should always "dress your best" for God on Sundays. That's when you should be the most careful about your appearance, take the most care with your grooming. I have to say I still follow that rule of thumb to a degree and honestly, have been a bit Nazi-ish (for lack of a better word) about it over the years. My girls would love to tell you about it sometime. ;)

In all honesty though, the Lord doesn't really care so much about what's on the outside as much as He cares about what's going on on the inside, though. For many a year, I looked my best on Sunday, but there wasn't much God was doing on the inside of me - not because He wasn't trying, but because I wasn't listening or cooperating! I let my pride in my appearance and my place in the church define my worship experience. Mmm, ouch, still hurts at times when I think about it.

When Samuel went to anoint the new king God would provide for the nation of Israel, he was drawn to the oldest and best looking of the bunch, but the Lord had other plans. God chose a young, ruddy-faced teenager as king because of his heart. God's word speaks of King David over and over again as "a man after God's own heart". God didn't care that he was a little on the young and / or short side. He didn't care that he may have had the acne that comes with adolescence. God didn't even care that he'd been out with (and probably smelled like) sheep all day long!

God looks on the heart, not the make up or the threads or even the hair-do! (Although I plan on having a chat with Him about that when I get to heaven! ;0))  Now, don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying go to church looking like a ragamuffin, but as long you're doing the best you can, heart included,  that's all He's really concerned with, isn't He?

At this point in our family's faith journey, I don't know many folks at the church we attend. We are new faces right now and that's okay with me because it keeps me from allowing pride to cut in during my worship time with my Father. He's so good and He doesn't even care about my mascara streaks or the tear stains on my blouse. He cares about my heart, just my heart and He wants it to look it's best, so He gently removes the cares of the week and washes me clean with His Word. Like a steam-cycle! :) He's so good!!

"But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” - 1 Samuel 16:7