Precious in His Sight - Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Part 2

When you look in the mirror do you like what you see, I mean do you like you, for many of us looking at who we are is a painful experience.

But it doesn't have to be that way today. My wife Teresa Cheryl part of her journey as she learns to see herself the way God sees and the healing that came don't. Thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge survival picture for this international discipleship ministry focused on helping Christians like Christian was just a minute will pick up where we left off last time series precious in his sight taught by our guest teacher Teresa. This program shall continue assuring some principles about self-worth in her life and if you're looking for more practical guidance on this topic. Stick around after today's message for some additional thoughts from both Chip and Teresa that here's the second half of Teresa's talk mirror mirror on the wall. My personal worth is not determined by my physical appearance is not determined by my outward appearance true and lasting needing that which flows from a heart filled with God. Now there may be many things about our bodies that we wish were different that we would like to change, but the main person that we are a treasured masterpiece to God and we are valuable because of that, alone, and not because of what her outward appearance might be many of us base our work on faulty foundations on foreign faulty beliefs that what we love.like determines who we are and whether will be happy when he will be successful in life by what we look like on the outside and we may safely where the right clothes and if we are with the right way, whatever that is. And if we have the right hairstyle or the the right color. Okay you see me think those things make us mega somebody makes us valuable person and in those things may have a still better for a while about ourselves and beautiful and it's okay. But, God says that true beauty is is not that which comes from her outward appearance, but that true, lasting beauty comes from the inside. The true person inside it flows from a heart that's still up with God in first Samuel 16 King Saul had fallen into sin and God took the throne. How I went from him and the Lord came to Samuel the prophet Sam and he and he said his family mourned long enough for software I've rejected him as king of Israel, and he told them to take a vial of olive oil and go to Bethlehem and find a man named Jesse and he said Jesse. Jesse has a lot of ferns and he said I've chosen one of Jesse sons to be the next king of Israel, so Samuel does what the Lord told him he goes and finds Jesse, and Jesse has I think about 70 sons there and that command. The first one that Roxanne Sammy took one look at him. His name was Ileana and he thought surely this is the one time. This is the one the Lord is chosen to be king. Now we need to know that King Saul had been a very handsome man. He was a very impressive looking man and Samuel probably thought that the person that God would choose as the next king to take Saul's place with little outline look a lot like Saul, he probably thought that he would have this impressive looking appearance and so as soon as he saw Jesse's first son is in fact the one I think is the one… And what the Lord said he spoke to Samuel, he said. Don't judge a man's don't judge by a man's face or height for this is not the one I don't make decisions the way you do man judge by outward appearance, but I look at a man's thoughts and intentions he see man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart fly. Why does he do that it was because her outward appearance by and it doesn't really reveal what our true value is missing, God sees our character he sees her character he sees what kind of person that we are on the inside and you ever met someone who initially there appearance wasn't very attracted to you and all and and after you got to know that person and you learned about the kind of person they were inside. They became more beautiful to you and to any serious flaws in an and after while if you he remembered that he thought that why he wondered why did you ever think that when the first place because see, we initially did look at a person's outward appearances to start our natural tendency to contest the true value the true beauty is that which comes from inside the person in the heart. In Proverbs 31, 30 says charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she is to be praised a woman who fears the Lord is the outward beauty is fleeting. It doesn't last.

If we live long enough, it won't last. Only now that those of us that are getting all we know that it won't plastic any can be marred by an accident. It can be marred by disease. We can can't count on it can count on always being there years ago. I had just a wonderful friend. She was an older lady I when I met her I was a brand-new Christian. She was about 60 years old and I was mid-20s we became very, very good friends and that the Lord gave me the privilege of leading her to Christ, and we were very close with both were alone and we are very Became very close friends and then I was married to Jeff and we moved away from. We in West Virginia we moved to Texas and every year I would go back and visit Edith my friend and one time she had a really really bad stroke.

She was placed in a nursing home and so I still every year when I got to go back home. I would go visit Edith in the nursing home and then one year I went I can find her and I went in the cafeteria when the nurse told me that she was in. There are handful people there, but I can find and I looked and reluctant and spend the nurse show me who she was recognized by freehand. She can look like the person that I knew that it was it was her and what I hope realize that then is that our physical, our physical body sometimes is no longer able to reflect the true person that we are sometimes happens that you know you can changed inside. She was the same person that I knew that I loved God was still working her life in her heart but her outward appearance did not reflect who she was and those nurses didn't know the Edith I knew because her outward appearance, never was able to reflect to them who she was inside the TI new I knew she was. I knew the wonderful person that she was and now God also says to us, and sent Corinthians 416 therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. You see, that's what happened to my friend the true you. You are inside the most beautiful you is being renewed every day no matter what your outward appearance is if you belong to Christ.

It's getting better and matter every day as we age, even as our bodies wrinkle and can't think very well anymore. We forget everything. Even though all this things are happening you see God's work in our lives in the true person that we are inside were being renewed day by day is getting this matter inside. We now live in a temporary body. The Scripture tells us that we will be given a spiritual body that will last forever to last forever and sent Corinthians 5 Paul describes our bodies as an earthly tent and he says for we know that if the earthly tent, which is our house is torn down.

We have a building from God house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens for indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven. He says this body is this fleshly body that were wearing right now. Three.

Content is like a temporary house in the last basis Sunday when we we design we and we go to heaven. She will have a new body and that body is a heavenly body and is like the billowing team anymore. It's like a building that will last forever and that while we live yet today in the tents that we had not in our buildings. Yet we need to be filled with the strength and power of Christ was dwelling inside you see our mortal bodies which will one day stop working, we know that, but who we are. The person that the true self in that lives inside each of us. This, in this earthly tent. It's being renewed every day, every day, by the very life of Christ who lives within us and that doesn't change that will not deteriorate. God says will have a resurrected body in first Corinthians 1542 to 44.

He says it is sown a perishable body, despite that were in right now. This our tenets is its rate an impartial body sown in dishonor to raise and glory.

It sounded weakness but it's raised in power.

It sounded natural bodies to raise the spiritual body with a lot to look forward to. Anybody won't have any flaws when we look in the mirror and having Rossini flaws where the see anything that needs changed or fixed or removed is currently perfect in every way and that body will not deteriorate until that day comes. This is what we have right now. All of our 10th friend of care for body need to care for the body to God's given us and allow him to use them in one shape or form.

They are, however, you come to glorify him. He tells us in first Corinthians 619, 20, says that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. For those who have invited Christ into their lives as their Savior, God will come, and he will dwell with you in our tents within our mortal bodies, and he and Hill lived there and that were not our own any more that we have been bought with the price of Christ's death on the cross, he said. Therefore, because of that we should glorify God with the bodies that he's given us in the Old Testament, the tabernacle is described in quite detailed. It's where God would come. It's where he would come and dwell among his people, and God gave the Israelites detailed and very elaborate sections about how to care for the tabernacle about how it was to be constructed and how they were to use it and it was to be constructed with her past material of the most valuable material and they were to take care of it because it was to be the dwelling place of night was to be the place where in the midst of the camp of all these people that God would come dwell within their nest and but when he says he says in the tabernacle.

He says you are his temple and he comes and dwells within you, because you that precious to him and he would come dwell within you will never leave you and so it's important that we cherish our bodies and care for our physical bodies because were caring for God's temple. Give her think about that he's chosen to live inside us and for us to reflect him to the world city you think much about your body is God's temple and how that it is important to God, he take care of your body and we need to think about that from time to time and ask how my caring God's temple because the two IM, but we can adorn our bodies we can adorn them with nice clothes and jewelry and makeup can do all those things and I'm glad we have all this thing, but what is precious to God.

He says of the heart. That's what's precious to God in first Peter three verses three and four, it says and let not your adornment be merely external braiding the hair and wearing gold jewelry and putting on dresses, but let it be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God in the first part of that verse is let not your adornment be merely external braiding the hair, wearing gold jewelry and putting on dresses. Now what the writer here is not saying is that it's wrong to wear jewelry or to wear nice clothes or to fix her hair away. I wear makeup. He's not saying that it's wrong to do that all of that is a part of the culture that we live in.

It's a part of where we live and we need to dress appropriately within the culture that God has placed us. Now we need to also think about that within our culture to ask ourselves does the way I'm dressed draw undue attention to me. You know we we don't want to dress in such a way that would win and somehow you know draw people away from Christ or in my dress in a way, maybe that would reflect Christ who lives in me and another question. Could the way undress create problems for the opposite sex for men in their last so we do need to think about how were presenting ourselves we need to think about the kind of clothes were wearing and how were presenting our bodies even though God says it's okay.

It's okay to dress appropriately within the culture that you laugh. The second part of that verse says that let let it be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. You see this woman's beauty here does not come access from outward adornment. But God says it's from her and herself. It's from her heart. The unfading beauty says of a gentle and quiet spirit you say and what this means is that she has a submissive spirit to God and to her husband that she was a life of purity that her hope is found in God, and God says that that this kind of person this this is what is beautiful to me. He says this is what is precious in my sight and and it's okay as we said, to adorn our bodies in an appropriate way that would enhance our outward appearance.

That's a good thing to do, that Christian women should not think that their outer attire is a source of genuine beauty because not because genuine beauty God says flows from the hidden person of the heart and I think we have the freedom to to enjoy our culture and all that it has to offer. I think we have the freedom to do that and whatever it has to offer to enhance our outward appearance.

We must not get trapped into the false belief that our appearance that the kind of clothes we wear, how we fix our hair. Whether we wear makeup are not what size we wear must not get that confused with thinking that that gives us value and that that makes a somebody that that business worth as a person because it doesn't because you know what this things constantly change may change all the time. I remember when I was in elementary school on little girls had curly hair and I just saw one had curly hair. My hair was always straight to my mother would put up permanent. From time to time, and that those things and work very well either. I was always rolling my hair and trying to be like the other little girls as I thought that was great that that really made me fit in, and what was so interesting to me as I look back now is to when I was it was about. I think senior in high school. The hippie movement just got to West Virginia think there lay friends of mine that I was trying to be with like it had curly hair started ironing their hair. They wanted to be stray. This is really good right now. I finally finally finally dial in the same peers.

So we need is to realize that those kinds of things are constantly changing and what is its value.

That's not what gives us real worth and significance as a person my value as a person has already been determined because of my relationship to Christ.

And there's nothing or no one can ever ever take that value away from you. Nothing so we have a choice to make the choice to make week. We can either look at the reflection of ourselves in the distorted mirrors that the world provide the tell us that we don't measure up or we can choose we can choose to look at the reflection of ourselves in the mirror of God's word and his word says to me that my physical appearance in my unchangeable aspect is beautiful in his sight because I am his because he is my designer and maker, and secondly that my value my eight words and significance is not not determined by my outward appearance and like to just encourage you to use the application that I put at the end of your notes that when you look in the mirror in the morning or when you go to bed tonight and and when you comb your hair or you put on your makeup or or whatever you do in front of the mirror. Take time take time tonight in the morning just to look at yourself.

Thank God for the way he made you Saint Anne for the things that you like about yourself and thank him for the things that you don't like him asking for wisdom to be able to change the things you can and to be content with the things that you can't change that. I really encourage you to do that tonight. I read us a story that a lady name Allison harms wrote about herself when she was nine years old I so identified with it that I wanted to close within tonight.

It's called the beauty contest and she says I want a beauty contest when I was in third grade. I didn't expect to nine years old. I Artie knew that my face was too full that my eyes were set too closely together that the angles of my chin and nose were too sharp. Besides, I wore glasses and my teeth were crooked. My body could not recall the figure except in geometric terms. I was a flat rectangle with a building block veil. In addition to all my physical drawbacks.

My older sister had me that I had the personality of overcooked cauliflower will have a sister like that. Her brother on the day of the contest all the negative appraisals compounded my fears as I stood to be judged against the whole nation of girls. They had all arrived at school getting giggling in new dresses, shiny black patent leather shoes curls rib and even lipstick. I'm sure my address was fine-tuned that my mother had done her best of my belligerently straight hair. I mourn those pink sponge rollers overnights at least my hair was doing something under my droopy ribbon. Still, I felt like I was facing a firing squad as the other classes piled into watch the spectacle laughing and pointing when the teacher began to list the names of the contestants. I concentrated on trying to make time fast-forward so that I could avoid this moment. I imagine being home, curled up in my reading chair with my book and my cat making cocoa and eating warm cinnamon toast. Another part of my mind was already comforting my soon to be rejected. Health this doesn't matter. I told myself. The judges are fair they just going to take the teacher's pet, a sudden hush interrupted all the pictures and voices in my head then my teacher's voice. My name in loud cheers and clapping from the crowd. A small rough ceramic disc was placed in my hand as I translated the word scratch into the surface that hard red clay became a treasure in my hand. I read Allison most brilliant.

When I raise my eyes I saw that all the other girls had a disc to steal giggling nervously, they began passing around their wards through related field eyes. I read some of their happiness. Each disc was inscribed with unique message of self-worth, which had been designed even before the contest had begun.

There had never really been a contest and that was the whole point. It must've been some creative teachers. Idea to counteract that destructive third grade project of comparing ourselves to each other to demonstrate in three dimensions that each person has beauty gifts, abilities that there is a beauty deeper than the surface and beauty in our differences not in the fact that we sent to some uniform standard. I don't pretend that I learned that lesson once for all that day, but it was an ordeal turn episode to build on. And today when I rediscovered a small ceramic disc Anderson papers at the back of the drawer.

I felt my face shine with a happy surprise at finding myself valued. I silently thanked the teacher whose name I have forgotten and I smiled at the memory of an awkward nine-year-old looked into the mirror.

That teacher held up for her, saw herself as beautiful you are beautiful in God's eyes, spray father, we thank you so much that you created us just the way you wanted us to be and that we all look different were all uniquely made that that's the way you chosen us to be in use us and you want to reflect yourself through the unique bodies that you've given each one of us. Help us to be thankful for what you forgiven us for how you've made us and give us wisdom and learning how to care for our bodies in the best way that we honor you.

Thank you Lord that will beautiful in your sight. In Jesus name we pray, listening to Teresa Gorgas, teacher for this program just from her series precious in his sight Teresa and she will be back in studio shortly.

Sure, some applications would be hurt Teresa's messages really get to the heart of an issue that both men and women wrestle with identity. You know many of us define ourselves by our work looks well for our accomplishments. But the thing is, those ideas never quite satisfied with the series. Teresa reveals the freedom that comes with knowing we are children of God and that he values and loves us just the way we are.

Discover how you can live in the truth every day and experience true wholeness and satisfaction of you missed any part of the series, precious in his sight want to learn more about our helpful resources.

The chipping warm-up is a great way to get plugged it should be lower living in a society that is constantly chipping away at our self-worth and value whether it's parents comparing their life to others were teams changing who they are to fit in and be more popular or beautiful. How can we combat these unrealistic expectations and we see ourselves the way God sees us all day will tell you I'm in listening to Teresa's messages and some of the research that I've been doing the pressure on our young people, especially girls, is unlike anything I've ever seen and we've all you know I mean this is a just young girls or women. We've all looked into that mirror and said I'll never be good enough but I just don't measure up.

And so you know my my joy as I've had the front row seat of watching the woman as she's very honestly shared who on the outside look beautiful. I just thought she was so ugly so unwanted and I watch like a flower bloom before me, but it took lots of work. Lots of renewing her mind and we just had so many women say please tell us your story and so we made the affirmation cards nose went out like hotcakes and that it was like, could you put this in a book should have five people knew the agony for her to do this, but I will tell you if you're a woman and you want to see yourself the way God sees you and have someone that really really understand you get Teresa's brand-new book precious in his sight, and then get those cards to renew your mind the way that she has for so many years and what I can tell you for sure is that as you do that you will begin to see changes in your thinking than your emotions, your self-esteem, and it's a journey that you really need to be on and were thrilled to provide those resources, but strip all I can encourage you enough to get Teresa's new book and a set of or affirmation cards that we've bundled together just for the series and if you haven't thought of it already. These resources would make great Mother's Day gifts for any of the women in your life.

So be sure to place your order by April 29 to receive this bungling time for all the details, go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us at AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003, or LivingontheEdge.org blisters top special offers. Well here's chipping Teresa with today's application. Teresa thanks so much for coming back in studio and sharing your story as you said in this program. Maintaining one's physical appearance is such a huge struggle for women. So what would you say to them, or even to men who love them about ways to change that mentality order may be some baby steps to help them see themselves the way God sees them well. It is taking baby steps, I learned that a lot in my life that sometimes when we need to have a change that is taking one little step at a time and then he looked back a few years or maybe even months later and you see what God is done. I grew up thinking that I was the ugly duckling which I wasn't. But my parents never complimented me at all on how I looked on how I dressed on. They never told me I was pretty they never told me they were proud of me. So when you don't hear that you look in the mirror and you start making up all kinds of things because you see all your flaws and then when I got into my early 20s I realized that I was an ugly duckling at all, that I was a very pretty woman that I wasn't a believer and I got caught up in how I looked and trying to find my value in my appearance, and in what I wore in in how my hair was and all of those things and I found out that because of how I looked. Men were really attracted to me and it made me feel good about myself. It made me feel important.

But then I realized later that the emptiness is still there in Proverbs 31 this this verse has always really meant a lot to me. It says charm is deceitful and beauty is vain beauty lasts for a while but we all grow old and our bodies change so is fleeting.

This beating the worldly beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised, and I learned over the course of time that God sees beauty in us totally different way and he sees us all is beautiful because were made in his image and that true beauty that we have comes from inside, from within us. A woman who fears the Lord is one that just exudes love and faithfulness, humility, and walking in faith and she has peace in her heart about who God made her to be. And so I just encourage all of you as an application to be in the Scriptures to high God's word in your heart and then to be thankful for how he made you and I realized to you that being grateful really changes my perspective and changes my attitude and so I would encourage you to do those two things to take baby steps.

Extra printers will as we wrap up this program just a quick but important thought Living on the Edge depends on listeners just like you to help us continue to encourage Christians to live like Christians.

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