An Inside Job

Have you ever bit into an apple, it looked lovely on the outside but on the inside it was bad.  All you could see inside was something brown and bruised. 

This can be like our lives, we like to show on the outside how good we are and how great things are going, but inside we can be struggling, we can be bruised and have broken circumstances to deal with.  Sometimes we carry our pain alone.  We feel like no-one would ever understand and, if we were to share our struggles, we would only be judged.  

There is good news, as God completely understands our pain and can lift every burden and bruise from our lives.  He wants to heal your bruises and make you whole and healthy again. Just like the apple; when we eat a healthy fresh apple, it can give us the nutrients we need for sustenance.  And even better than this, as you gain your strength back from God, your life can then help to heal others as well.

Sometimes the burdens inside can unfortunately be our own doing. It can be things we've done or said that we regret and have hurt others, it can be unforgiveness or disagreements.  Our outward appearance may seem to others unscathed, but we carry the burden of knowing our true selves and God sees it, but also loves us all the same! 

The pharisees looked right on the outside; they prayed, they tithed, they worshipped, they preached, they helped the needy, but Jesus could see right through all their pomp and ceremony!  Jesus could see the impurity inside of them and the judgemental attitudes towards others.  They looked humble on the outside but secretly they thought of themselves more holy and religious than everyone else.  That's why just being religious doesn't work, there needs to be more to our faith than a set of rules and regulations to follow. 

Matt 23, 12, Jesus said, whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted higher! 

God doesn't want to see a performance that is untrue, but a transformed heart from within. All the good in our lives starts from within us, the parts that no-one else can see but God. God goes on to say that when we come to him, he wants us to come just as we are, not see a performance as a perfect person, but come to him authentically and humbly.  We shouldn't come to God and pretend we've got everything sorted out in our lives - God certainly knows everything about us, so there is no point in pretending.  

John 4 23-24, It's who you are and the way you live that count before God.  Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth.  That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for, those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship.  God is sheer being itself - Spirit.  Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits their true selves in adoration. 

A life that appears perfect and holy can still be empty within, unless God steps in to transform our hearts.  Jesus always spoke from what he saw within a person, not from their outward veneer, skills or performance.  God sees straight into our hearts, hears our intentions and knows our every desire. 

We need to ask the question, what are we carrying within us today?  Whether pain, bruises or sin, God wants to heal you and set you free.  He wants a personal relationship with you that can flourish, so you can live the best and most successful life possible.  

All we need is humility to say, "yes God, I got this wrong, I need your help here, please help me and forgive me because I want to change for the better".  If you pray that prayer, the power that will come into your life will not be matched with anything you've ever experienced before because God can transform a humble heart from the inside out! Only the power of God, that is more powerful than anything in this world could ever do that for you!  Whether you are hurting or bruised let God in today to transform you inwardly.