On Clipped Toenails

09/07/06 23:53
A friend of mine and I were talking about the time her friend was coming to visit her. She was telling me how she was tearing around the house trying to get it clean before her friend’s arrival. She was busy dusting and polishing and just all around straightening up when her husband asked her what she thought she was doing. “Well, I’m cleaning the house for our guest.” She replied promptly. “I want it to look nice when she comes.” To which her husband reminded her, “What for? Our friend is blind!” A slight blush came across her face when she realized that what her husband had said made a lot of sense. I thought the whole thing was rather cute and we had a good laugh together. I asked her if I could use her little incident for an anecdote or something and she said that she didn’t mind at all. Often times we find ourselves acting in a way that, if we would have stopped and thought it out, we wouldn’t have continued acting in that particular way. For instance, how many of us get up each morning in a rush, hoping that we will accomplish the things that we need to do that day without first taking time to spend with the Lord, sitting at His feet, waiting for counsel or some wisdom to come forth from His lips like mirth? Or, do we rush headlong into our chores without any consideration of His will for us (for that particular day)? Do you recall the time that Martha invited the Lord to her house? When He came, she was busy with all the preparations but her sister, Mary, was sitting at Jesus’ feet drinking in the words that sprang up from His heart. Martha asked Jesus, “Don’t you care that Mary has stuck me with all the chores?” And His reply to her was, “Martha, you worry about too much that you shouldn’t. Mary has chosen what is best and it shall not be taken from her.” I would like to bring this lesson into a modern circumstance. Sunday mornings: do you spend more time dressing yourselves up nicely with the make-up, perfume, cologne and stuff than asking God to prepare your heart for worship? Are you more concerned about how you look in the sanctuary than how you act in the sanctuary? Don’t misunderstand, I am all for dressing nicely for the Lord, but I never forget that God looks on the heart rather than the outward appearance of man. 1Sam.16:7 I believe that, as far as my clothes are concerned, God is blind. But if in my heart I say, “O, any old thing will do; I’m just going to church.” Then I believe that my clothing attire has become a heart problem just like those who dress up to the tilt so everyone will look at them, only from the other side of the spectrum. If you would invite me to your house for a dinner engagement, I certainly would try to dress appropriately for you, that is called consideration. Now, God has invited us to His house and I think that He looks on how considerate we are rather than how decked out we are. You see, it all boils down to this; do our actions reflect a heart that knows that God is not blind to our motivations and intentions? Don’t we realize that nothing is hidden from His sight, but that all things are laid out bare for His judgment? Let us remember this one thing; God is gracious beyond our comprehension and if I didn’t have a pair of shoes to wear to church –He would still accept me into His house with love. But you can bet, that my feet are going to be clean and my toenails clipped!
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