Your beauty should not come from outward adornment. (1 Peter 3:3)
The brownies didn’t use traditional ingredients, but no one could tell by looking at them. They were sweet potato brownies. I decided I was going to cut out sugar and find substitutes for some of our family’s favorite desserts. Personally, I don’t eat a lot of chocolate, but the rest of my family loves it. Thus, I decided I would make them brownies. The recipe was simple enough, and it used a healthy alternative: sweet potatoes. From the outside, the brownies looked perfectly normal. It wasn’t until you took a bite that you realized something was different. The bite revealed that what you saw on the outside did not reflect what was on the inside.
Peter warned women to focus on their inner selves. He reminded them that the jewels and clothes others could see were not as important as their spirit. Those things were just superficial facades. It was their behavior, their heart, and how they behaved as wives that really mattered.
At some point in time, we are all guilty of placing too much importance on what we can see. It’s only normal. It’s why the saying “first impressions matter” exists. However, the real first impression should be with a person’s spirit not their attire. We must look past what we can see, just as God does, and take the time to know each other’s hearts.
Be intentional about getting to know someone’s heart today.
Tara Klein is a Wesley Seminary [IN] graduate who enjoys relaxing with her family, serving others, and sharing God’s unconditional love with the lost and broken-hearted.
© 2023 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
