Your Outward Life
By Elisabeth Elliot
The Old Testament tells us that man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. We would find nothing there to argue about. Man looks on the outward because it’s all he can see. But it is a revelation of what’s inside. If this were not so, there would be no point in Paul’s prayer for the Colossians, “that your outward lives, which men see, may bring credit to your Master’s name” (Col. 1:10). Is there anything in your way of living that would indicate that you belong to a heavenly Master? If an outsider were to observe your “lifestyle” closely, listen to the way you speak, scrutinize the quality of your work, examine your response to pressure, what would he find? "Ah - there’s one who’s taking his cues from a different source than the rest of us!"
"We pray… that you may bring joy to his heart by bearing genuine Christian fruit in all that you do" (Col. 1:10). (105)
The Old Testament tells us that man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. We would find nothing there to argue about. Man looks on the outward because it’s all he can see. But it is a revelation of what’s inside. If this were not so, there would be no point in Paul’s prayer for the Colossians, “that your outward lives, which men see, may bring credit to your Master’s name” (Col. 1:10). Is there anything in your way of living that would indicate that you belong to a heavenly Master? If an outsider were to observe your “lifestyle” closely, listen to the way you speak, scrutinize the quality of your work, examine your response to pressure, what would he find? "Ah - there’s one who’s taking his cues from a different source than the rest of us!"
"We pray… that you may bring joy to his heart by bearing genuine Christian fruit in all that you do" (Col. 1:10). (105)
posted by Clarissa Ramos at 7:46 PM
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