We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable. (2 Corinthians 8:21)
Read: Song of Solomon 1:1-4:16, 2 Corinthians 8:16-24, Psalm 50:1-23, Proverbs 22:22-23
Relate: I’ve never been one for keeping up appearances. I’m not all that big on fashion. I don’t really care much about what I look like. I don’t give much thought to what other people think of me. That’s probably a good thing because, as someone once said, “We probably wouldn’t worry about what people think of us if we realize how seldom they do.” If someone calls me ugly or out of style, if they don’t like my haircut or clothes, if they laugh at my ignorance of the latest movies or Lady Gaga song… I just shrug and agree. These things mean nothing to me.
React: But there are other issues that I do want to “keep up appearances”. For nearly all of my neighbors and coworkers, I am the only, representation of who Jesus is. In a city of millions, the actual number of Christians is counted in the low hundreds. How I act is what Christianity is for them. So honor in this culture is something worth defending and maintaining. I would argue that it is so in every culture. An honorable person is someone worth emulating. If I want people to follow me as I follow Christ, I need to not only live an honorable life but let it be seen that I am living honorably. I need to keep up the appearance of what is my reality. Yes, God judges my heart. But the people I am desperately praying would come to know Him will judge me by appearances.
Respond:
Dear God,
I want to honor You by living an honorable life. Help me to live a life beyond reproach. Help me to keep up the appearance of what it means to follow You, even if I don’t think anyone is watching. Let my every action and my every word bring glory and honor to You.
Amen
THE RIVER WALK 
A good reminder of where I need to spend my energy and keep my focus. There are so many distractions to fight!
1 Thessalonians 5:22 came to mind as well…
AMEN! Thank you! 🙂
Thanks for sharing! That’s awesome you don’t worry about worldly things like clothing, outward appearance, etc. When I was younger, I used to be extremely self conscious to the point where I didn’t want to walk by myself. As I got older, I realized that I was being selfish and vain when I used to stare in the mirror for a long time looking at what I was going to wear and spending hours on my hair and makeup. No more! I have come to learn what’s more important than having my hair perfect and my cloths perfect. I still like to look nice, but that phase of wanting to look good, so I could fit in, is long gone. Praise God for His grace and mercy.
Very true.