Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Facial Expressions: Showing the Inside on the Outside



I was slicing up potatoes to make Breakfast Skillet recently. This particular potato had a bad spot. It was so small that I assumed I could cut away the bad place and use the rest.

I was wrong. When my knife touched the potato, it felt firm, but I quickly hit a softer spot that worsened as the knife plunged through the skin. The rot was almost all the way through. 

That tiny spot on the outside was an outward manifestation of what was inside.

Isaiah wrote that our facial expressions do the same thing for us. 

"The expression of their faces bears witness against them." Isaiah 3:9 nasb

I hate to admit this, but, yesterday, I saw a candid group picture taken several years ago. I was clearly visible at the edge of the photo. My expression made me cringe. It was obvious from my face that I was bored and unhappy. The "expression of my face" bore witness against me. (I apologize to those who were with me. There was no excuse for my bad attitude.)

As I encounter people on my trek through life, I often gauge my response to them based on their facial expression. For the most part, Isaiah's words hold true. The expression of their face gives a pretty good idea of what's inside.

Yesterday, I realized anew that my facial expression tells quite a bit about what's inside me

If people gauge their response based on my facial expression, I need to be careful about what's on the outside, but even more careful about what's on the inside. 

It's in our unguarded moments that our faces reveal the truth.

Today, let's take note of the expressions we encounter. Do those faces reveal sorrow? Anger? Pain? Let's look past the words and facial expressions to the need inside. 

Love first. Then respond.

Let's also take note of our own expressions and the truth they reveal about our hearts, our attitudes, our needs. What do we uncover in our unguarded moments? 

Rather than fake a happy expression, let's use our honest appraisal to drive us to Our Lord, who will comfort us in our sorrow, rejoice with us in our good times, soothe every anxiety, and heal every hurt we encounter.

It's what's inside that matters most. Let's be sure it's worth showing the world.
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The Value of a Life
#facialexpression #disciple 

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