My mother told me about a woman named Josephine that she’s known just about all her life. Josephine’s family was more than poor, they were what people call in the South, “dirt poor.” It’s a term rooted in the poverty of folks whose homes had the bare ground as floors because they couldn’t afford to build a house with a footing or foundation. My mother said that Josephine wore her older sister’s hand-me-down shoes. When they were too worn to cover her feet, Josephine’s mother would cut the tips or heels out of them and make sandals out of the worn-out shoes. She would come to school some mornings, and from her toes to her ankles would be stained red from walking barefoot on floors made of red Georgia clay.
Josephine’s story is a source of pride to my mom in some respects. Josephine turned into a real go-getter. She excelled in school, graduated first in her class, and was the first person in her family’s known history to graduate college. Although Josephine has relocated to a large metropolitan city and has a very successful career, her money woes are notorious. She earns enough to purchase just about anything she wants, and the problem with this is she does exactly that. The wisdom of being financially disciplined escapes her, and the home she purchased back south for her mother is continually in financial jeopardy.
We can be easily overwhelmed with having a lot when we come from a background of having so little. This truth is intensified exponentially if we have not gained wisdom about our choices along the way. Jesus Christ teaches us in Luke 16:10(NLT), “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” This wisdom highlights both progression and scale. As we learn the lessons of gratitude and responsibility for the small things, we will gradually develop the kind of habit patterns and diligence that will prepare us for the next level of blessings. And with the next level of blessings, there will always be greater responsibility.
We’re on this earth to become more and more like our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Romans 8:29(NLT) tells us, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” This is God’s Will for each of us. We need to be learning more about Christ with each passing day, because God has commanded us to do so. We cannot live a truth we don’t know. As we learn more truths about the example of Christ, we can then apply those truths in our own lives and begin to walk in them. Without this process of developing spiritually into the image of Christ, we run the risk of making terrible mistake after terrible mistake. We become enamored with beautiful things and set out to acquire them with no regard for how these beautiful things can negatively impact our lives.
Such was the case of Lot, Abraham’s nephew, in the Old Testament. During earlier biblical days, a man had to take full responsibility for his family as well as those under his employ. This could be hundreds of people which equated to what we would call maids, janitors, personal assistants, security guards, and employees that took care of the farming and farm animals. So, a man’s entourage, so to speak, could be huge and included people with a range of skills and sometimes various backgrounds. There were no modern amenities, and moving anywhere was a huge deal, because everyone had to travel with you, on camel back no less.
Genesis 12:1-2(NLT) tells us, “The LORD had said to Abram, “1 Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.” Lot traveled with Abraham and he was also very wealthy with lots of servants(employees) and traveling tents where they would be housed. After a while, disputes broke out between Abraham and Lots camps. Genesis 13:8(NLT) says, “8 Finally Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives! 9 The whole countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll go to the left.”
This was a very generous gesture of Abraham and it tells us a lot about his heart. He didn’t try to take the land for himself but offered to take whatever portion of land that Lot didn’t want. Lot on the other hand, was a different story. Genesis 13:10(NLT) says, “Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the LORD or the beautiful land of Egypt.” Lot chose what looked to him to be the best of the land. It looked good to him, and he lacked the restraint, wisdom and generous heart to make a better choice.
The land that Lot chose turned out to be an extremely terrible choice. He and his family were captured by rebels and had to be rescued by Abraham. Lot learned the hard way that looks can be deceiving, but Josephine wasn’t getting it. If she saw something beautiful that she wanted, she had to have it, and this inability to rein herself in was costly. It had infiltrated other important aspects of her life, including her significant relationships. She pursued men because they were handsome and looked the part, but later discovered that their interiors were completely different than their exteriors.
The world is chock full of beautiful people and beautiful things. It should be no surprise to us that these can be distractions and temptations that take us off the mark. We’re here on this earth to learn to be like Jesus Christ, and discipline is a huge part of his reality. It’s not burdensome to be disciplined according to the example of Christ. It’s a tremendous blessing to recognize that God’s purpose is in our DNA. Everything that the world’s offers isn’t a part of what He has planned for our individual lives. So, just because a thing looks right, it doesn’t mean it’s right for us. It’s always best to seek God first, before we make decisions, especially the major ones. There are lots of harmful traps that could cause a lifetime of regret. God is willing and able to help us discern what is best and trusting His guidance will help us avoid costly mistakes. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Looks Can Be Deceiving”,written for victoryinjesuschrist.life. Copyright© 2022. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Comments