Someone cleverly said, ”Let us be grateful to the mirror for revealing our appearance only.” So true. What if there was some kind of readout of your own heart or attitude each time you glanced in the mirror to check your looks? Knowing myself, I probably wouldn’t be looking in the mirror as often as I do! However, there is something to be said about a lovely, put together, classy, beautifully modest appearance; for in such an appearance, the heart is truly revealed. A sloppy, un-ironed, unkempt appearance makes for a poor testimony for a Christian.
My little three-year-old granddaughter sees me every day. Every day, to the best of my ability, I try to dress my best. One day, I was doing some cleaning and organizing around the house in a jean skirt. It wasn’t torn or raggedy or anything—just not the neatest looking skirt I own. I had to run some errands and decided I could just throw a light coat over my outfit and not bother to change. Madison, upon discovering I was going out, actually looked me up and down and said, “Gram? Are you going out like that??? ”Needless to say…I got changed. Our appearances speak volumes about us. We should not be careless in our dress. First impressions are usually lasting impressions and the way we look goes a long way in our witness and testimonies.
One time, my husband and I took a visiting pastor and his family out to eat. We took them to an establishment we often visited and one where we have been very careful to maintain our standards for the gospel’s sake. We were to meet this man and his family at the restaurant. Without going into all the sordid details, I was so disappointed when they all piled out of the car. Sloppy, unkempt children, followed by a disheveled looking mother with a runny nosed infant at her hip. The man looked the most decent in the group, but seemed totally oblivious to the way the rest of the family looked. I have to say, I was very embarrassed to go into this restaurant with them. The family drew more stares than I care to remember, though as they were leaving I stayed behind a minute to help the waitress clean the table, which is a topic for another article another day. Sloppiness is not next to godliness. Everyone can afford to be clean and to be neat. Christians should always bear in mind who they represent and to the very best of their ability, show that they belong to the King.
