Focus on What Lasts
"And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are."—Matthew 6:28-29
We live in a culture that is obsessed with appearance. We will be so concerned about what we are going to wear. Is this in style? Does this look good? Do I look fat in this? And we have taken this obsession to the point of changing our bodies with plastic surgery, spending billions of dollars on it each year.
Yet Jesus said, "And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. . . . These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs" (Matthew 6:28-29, 32).
Flowers don't worry. Why should you? Even Solomon in his royal robes, surrounded by his lavish furniture encrusted in gold, was not as beautiful as a simple flower. The Bible is not saying we should not be attractive. But it is saying we should not be obsessed with our looks. Frankly, some people ought to think a little bit more about their looks. There is a place for that too. We can go too far either way.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to look good. But if that becomes more important to you than your spiritual life, if you spend all of your time on the outward and completely neglect the inward, then your life is out of balance.
One day, this body will be gone, but the soul will live forever. As Erma Bombeck once pointed out, "Sooner or later, dust wins." Our souls—the real you and the real me—will live on forever. So if this greater thing is in God's control, then we can leave the lesser things to Him as well.
Copyright © 2010 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
and
Listen to Greg Laurie's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com.
Watch Greg Laurie's weekly television broadcast on LightSource.com.
SPECIAL OFFER
“2012 ‘I AM’ Calendar”
Each month of our 2012 calendar features an ‘I AM’ statement of Christ and then, right alongside the specific verse, we offer a little commentary on what that statement means. There is also a suggested prayer included that you might pray to deepen your appreciation and application of that ‘I AM’ verse in your own life.
“It is always a good thing to be surrounded by the Word of God. So to help you in that endeavor, I want to send you our brand new 2012 calendar featuring the ‘I AM’ statements of Jesus Christ in appreciation for your gift of support to Harvest Ministries.” —Greg