Long ago, in the ancient days of infrequent blogging (not much changes...), I posted on a similar topic. Needless to say, this topic doesn't go away. As I was scurrying about yesterday getting ready to host a Christmas party the following thoughts plopped into my head, begging to be written down. I am sure that someone out there on the ol' internets needs to hear them, but mostly I think I need to verbalize them for myself. So if you want to hear a grown woman talk to herself in public, then please feel free to join me:
I knew that a bunch of women would be entering my home for a party. Now. These aren't just ordinary women who also happen to be in their 20-somethings like me. Most of these women are seasoned wives and cooks and homemakers whose children are at least my age. They are beautiful women with incredible wisdom, inspirational tender-heartedness, and soul-healing laughter. They are amazing women to me and I was delighted to be able to have them over to encourage and bless them.
Which, of COURSE, meant that the floor they walked on had to be vacuumed thoroughly (and Swiffered, in the appropriate areas). Naturally, being able to bless them was contingent upon having Christmas music playing at the perfect volume level of noticeable-without-being-intrusive in the other room. It would be unthinkable to serve the Blueberry Granola Parfait with any yogurt on the rim of the bowl. And, how could anyone have proper conversation if the two scented candles ("Christmas Pine" and "Winter Wonderland") remained unlit? Unthinkable!
Yes. I sound ridiculous. I'm aware. This is what trying to impress people looks like. People who really (get this!!)... Do. Not. Care.
As I was scurrying about, God brought the story from 1 Samuel 16 to mind, when He sent Samuel to pick out a new king from Jesse's sons. All of the men who were strong, handsome, undoubtedly ripped and toned-in-all-the-right-places were lined up as he went from one to the next, astonished, as God crossed each one off the list. This is where the oft-quoted verse, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart" arose from. It occurred to me yesterday that this verse is applied entirely too quickly to physical appearance, but it shouldn't stop there.
Yes, we apply entirely too much stock in physical appearance, but what about social status? Selectively posting certain things in public forums that allow us to look like we have all of our neatly-groomed ducks in a row? What about appearance of wealth? Name brands can afford to be so much more expensive because they know consumers are willing to pay more to LOOK like they paid more! Now, I'm aware that not all credit card debt is a result of this, but leaving beyond your means is often rooted in this too (don't buy stuff you can't afford). Let me go beyond this one step further even. What about activities we choose to get involved with, and then go out of our way to bring up in conversation? Or books we have read? Or movies we have seen? Or places we have visited? Or experiences we have? Or people we know?
I am convinced that we often (yes, often) are motivated in some of these ways because we want others to be impressed by us. We KNOW that men look at our outward appearance/status/wealth/education/home/athleticism/gym membership/resume of travel/cultural awareness/music-hipness/etc. We build our lives around this knowledge. But it is all dust. What God thinks (and knows) about us is what determines eternity. Wouldn't our time, then, be a tad bit better spent on things that are actually of importance?
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