Up close and personal!
If any of you out there use a magnifying mirror to apply makeup you know it can be a scary thing. I use a 15X magnifying mirror and it highlights things that I refuse to reveal here. However, I will admit that the changes that come with age can be startling, and unexpected, and leave one baffled when viewing at 15X magnification. Backing off provides some relief but even then, not all the changes are hidden. I'm not obsessing over it. I mean it is what it is, and I am determined to check my self-talk and embrace each phase and stage of my God-given life. So, what's my point in posting?
Countenance. Demeanor.
As I've discussed all this with the Lord, I've noticed that as I gather with other women, some older and some younger, I do not see any of the things on them that I see on myself. I'm not focused on the crepe skin, wrinkles, lip size, eyebrows, and the like. Now, I might get distracted by that stray, long chin hair (but I promise to tell you)! Overall, what I see, is your countenance. Your demeanor. The sparkle in your eyes and the way they portray love, peace, warmth, attentiveness, and acceptance. All I see is the beauty of you and who you are. Especially if you are IN Christ. Yes, sometimes I see the pain, sadness, being on guard, and other such things in your demeanor but I don't ever leave our encounter having focused with a 15X view of your face of physical appearance. Sure, I note special features that highlight your countenance such as the color of your eyes or hair or other special features about you but it's always a positive view.
My encounters with you, beautiful you have shown me that focusing on my countenance and demeanor is a worthy effort. The health of my inner self is important if I am going to offer you anything of value and importance.
I am encouraging myself and you today to focus on our inner selves. I am reminded of the Word God gives to us that says “… Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day.” Okay, so the word decaying isn’t that encouraging but knowing that our inner spirit, our countenance, and demeanor can be renewed daily is awesome!
So how do we renew our inner spirit?
By surrendering our hearts and lives filled with hopes, dreams, desires, hurts…everything to Jesus. Then daily apply His word to our hearts to cleanse and renew our faith so that all our hopes, dreams, and desires are in Jesus and our hurts are being used to perfect us, so we take on the countenance of Jesus. You know, we come to Him covered in the dirt and crime of our sin from living in this sin-filled world. Only the shed blood of Jesus can wash away those sins by forgiving them. To be renewed in our inner spirits, we must apply these truths daily, cleanse daily, and apply the moisturizer of God’s Word to our hearts that can so easily grow hard and bitter.
If you are a follower of Christ, I have something that might encourage and renew your inner self and enhance your countenance!