Matching Our Insides To Our Outsides

Matthew 23:25 | Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
 
We all can put on a good Christian front with each other. If we've been a Christian for a while, we know the right things to say and how to act. The danger is if we think we're doing okay spiritually if we abide by a standard of behavior, but on the inside, our hearts are dark. In fact, Jesus called out the religious people, specifically because their insides didn't look anything like their outsides.

When we neglect the conditions of our hearts, we allow things like selfishness, insecurity, jealousy, and bitterness to grow. And under pressure, those things will surface. The alternative is letting God deal with what's inside us, which can be painful and embarrassing. But the more our insides match our outsides, the more we become authentic followers of Jesus. And that's what matters.
 
Prayer: Lord, I ask You to search my heart and reveal any place that isn’t of You. Help me uncover any hidden sin in my heart so I can turn it over to You. I ask Your forgiveness for letting my heart be cluttered with self-focused thoughts. Help me be more like Jesus and an authentic ambassador for You in this world. In Jesus' name, amen.