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What Are You Concealing?

As I slather the concealer on my dark circles every morning, I always think about my paternal grandmother. She is the beautiful lady that I get to thank for these troublesome dark circles. It doesn’t matter if I get fourteen uninterrupted hours of sleep a night, the dark circles will be there to greet me when I get up. I have a feeling that my daughter, Savannah, will have to learn to embrace this same lot in life, thanks to the strong Pearson genes!

Only my family and closest friends have seen what lies beneath the concealer.  Just as I try to cover up all of the imperfections on my face each morning, I have to be honest and admit that I have some other imperfections that I tend to only let hang out around the people I love the most.  You know what I'm talking about:  
  • Having a short fuse
  • Gossiping (with my closest sisters in Christ, of course)
  • Disrespecting my husband
  • Being slow to forgive (yet expect quick forgiveness for my grievances)
  • Need I go on?
Oh, but Heaven forbid me act in any of these ways in front of acquaintances at church or strangers in public.  They all have to think that I'm the perfect wife, mom, and Christian, while the people that I love the most bear the brunt of my sins -- let's just call a spade a spade.  They're sins, not just imperfections.

While I'm not suggesting that we all waltz into church on Sunday and act our absolute worst to sort of even the score, I am convinced that we should all sit back and assess how we treat those we love the most. 

When Jesus answered the Pharisees' question in Matthew 22:34-40 about which was the greatest commandment, He knew that He couldn't stop with just one commandment.  He threw the second one in there for good measure.  He told them:

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Well, can we get any closer neighbors than the people who live in our very own house?  Jesus' words can truly cut deep, especially if you take the time to recount your words and actions over the last 24 to 48 hours towards the people you're close to.  If you're honest, you've treated the cashier at the grocery store with more grace than you have shown your own family. 

I'm sure there are many reasons why this is the case for most of us, but honestly, they are all unacceptable excuses.  God desires for our homes and our relationships to honor Him.  If you are in need of a makeover inside the four walls of your home, go to God right now and confess your need for Him to have His perfect way in your heart and life.  What's amazing about our God is that He doesn't just conceal what is dark in our lives, He can radically change it into something beautiful.

Comments

  1. UnknownMay 6, 2013 at 10:27 AM

    Pray for me....I'm not very nice to the clerks anymore...this journey has taken a toll on my person...I have spent the majority of my life .....wanting to love and be loved....then for a few years....thought that I had ...got it right....that I wanted people to see God....not me......then....my life fell apart....now after two years.....with and only...because of our Lord.......... I am making my way back to Him...you are now part of my journey...thank you,

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