Watch out for the mule!

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“A mule dressed in a tuxedo is still a mule.”-Traditional saying.

   Our society is so focused on the 'visual' that we seldom take time to get to know the true

   character of other people. We can make quick judgements of others and then live to regret those  snap

   decisions. 

     The saying above, also reminds me that sometimes people try to disguise who they truly are, but in the

     end their true character still shines through. Of course this doesn't mean that 'mules' can't be changed

    through the grace of Christ, but we should exercise caution when only noticing  the outward

    appearance of people.

1 Samuel 16:7 - But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Living in Grace

D3LM3

 

Inside first

"You're blessed when you get your inside world - your mind and heart - put right. Then you can see God in the outside world." - Matthew 5:8 (MSG)

The bible teaches us in a number of places to get the "inside" right first, before we worry about the "outside." Jesus even taught the people of his generation to be wary of cleaning the outside of the cup, while neglecting the dirt on the inside.

Matthew 23:26 - "First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean."

I am not sure when last you washed a coffee mug, but it is much easier to clean the outside of a mug than the inside - the inside takes a little more work and attention. In the end, cleaning the mug on the inside is so worth it, because who wants to drink from a dirty cup?

In a similar way, Jesus is more concerned about the work we are doing on the inside of our hearts, than our religious pretence on the outside. We may think that we can fool others, but we can't fool our maker.

It's worth thinking about - don't you think?

Living in Grace
D3LM3