Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Control your Face

1 Peter 3:3, "Do not let your adornment be merely outward - arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."

There are times when the hidden person of the heart is not so hidden. As I have been learning to be quiet, sometimes silent, sometimes not, I realized that my face betrays my heart. That which I think I'm hiding, by being silent, is all over my face. Perhaps you have the same problem.

About 3 years ago, before I was going on vacation, I asked Stephanie to pray for me that I would not blow our trip. I shared with her that I tended to have wonderful expectations of family bonding time, and when it didn't turn out the way I expected or wanted, I would get an attitude, sometimes with my words, but often with my face. You'll never guess what her godly counsel was. She suggested that when I was able to keep my mouth shut but unable to control my face, I put a paper bag over my head until I could have a better attitude. As silly as it sounds, I got myself a paper bag and drew a smiley face on it and tucked it in our RV, just in case.

My problem was not a face problem; my problem was a heart problem. What is in our hearts can be read all over our faces. Having a gentle and quiet spirit is a heart issue not a face issue.

So if you have a face problem, it's time to do business in your heart. Your challenge today is to ask God to change your heart and let your face show it.

Diane

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