Sunday, June 30

Would you still care?


I used an analogy on one of my unsuspecting kids this week. Oh, I know... those mom analogies... the poor soul. 
 
 For months, this child of mine has been walking around disappointed about something he can't change about himself. He has been anxious because he thinks he should be different than he is.
 
Maybe obsessing is a better word for it.
 
If you're a parent, you know that when a child feels badly about themselves, it hurts you too. You want your kids to start life accepting what God has given them in the way of traits and characteristics.

 
 

 
 
 
 
You feel badly, because you don't want them to feel badly about who they are.  But there comes a point when, well... we get a little tired of hearing the complaints and the "if only" talk.
 
So when that point came, I busted out the best analogy I could think of in the moment.
 
(Please look past the high Hallmark Hall of Fame cheesiness factor.) It went like this:
 
"Son, if you and God were the only two in the whole world, would you still care about ____________?"
 







 He quickly gets the point, and sheepishly answers, "No.."
 
Then it hit. This is for everyone of us. Man, woman, boy, girl.
I realized I had some serious work to do if I was going to practice what I was preaching.
 
If you and God were the only two in the whole world, would you still care about:
 
the extra baby weight you're carrying around?
the way your teeth look when you smile?
how tall you are?
your thinning hair?
the varicose veins on your legs?
your reputation?
that cellulite?
the kind of clothes you wear?
how your voice sounds when you answer the phone?
the number on the scale?
 
I would venture to say that most of us would say no. Those worries wouldn't exist any longer. We would no longer obsess about the muffin tops that creep over the waist of our jeans.
Because we know that God isn't impressed by our outward appearance or by who we've impressed on this planet. It brings a whole new meaning to this verse:
 
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
 
1 Samuel 16:7

 
This helps us orient our thoughts and gets us thinking about why these things are important to us. Why we obsess over them. Since we know it isn't to further our relationship with God, why is it then?  Let's ask ourselves these hard questions and kick those obsessions to the curb.
 
**What things would you no longer care about if it was just you and God?**
 
 
Who can you share this with who needs this as much as we do today?



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4 comments on "Would you still care?"
  1. Oh Amanda! That was good. Very good and needed for me. Thank you so much for sharing. Good work. I love you so much!

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  2. Hi Amanda. I'm visiting from Chatting at She Speaks. What great posts you have! There are so many things that I wouldn't care about if it were just me and God (she says as she takes a break from working on her house remodel...?) Lots of food for thought and a great litmus test when the voices in my head show up. I'm glad I stopped by and can't wait to meet you in real life.

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    1. Hi Kendra! I can't wait to meet your either... this whole experience is so fun already, and we haven't even stepped foot in the hotel. :) Glad you found some food for thought here.

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  3. AnonymousJuly 31, 2013

    I loved this post, Amanda. It helps me put things in perspective when it comes to not liking things about myself. When I was growing up, I hated the fact that I have small hands, small feet, and being shorter than your average person. I wanted to be tall. I wanted to be Big. I wanted to have Big Hands. Bigger Feet. Bigger everything. My poor family listened to me complain for years about my height and such. I wanted to be taller like my Mom, and taller like my friends were/are. Finally, my Mom got down to business and gave me a good talking-to about the importance of accepting myself. Accepting the way God MADE me. I understand how this particular child of yours was/is feeling about himself, but like you said, one needs to accept how God made him or her at some point. Yes, Man looks on the outside, but God looks at the heart. Your sweet boy is only looking at his outer self, but God sees his heart and who your sweet boy is as a person.
    In Christ,
    Bethany

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