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Blue Jays

“Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on jewelry, or beautiful clothes or hair arrangement.  Be beautiful inside, in your hearts, with the lasting charm of a gentle quiet spirit which is so precious to God” (1 Peter 3:3-4).

One morning I stepped outside into the fresh morning air and noticed the birds had been up for a while. The small wood thrushes were singing their hearts out and flitting around from branch to branch. Even though they don’t look that beautiful, they lift the spirits of anyone who hears them. They sing so cheerfully every morning. How I enjoy them!

What a Contrast!
And then I heard a blue jay.  Its loud, raucous sounds get everybody’s attention and they are not at all pleasant; however, their outward appearance is so very beautiful. Their blue feathers glisten when the sun shines on them. They are noisy and aggressive and have been known to attack cats and humans. But blue jays are notorious as nest robbers and will devour small birds and suck the eggs of other species. (Thrushes, on the other hand, eat snails and slugs.)

Inner Beauty
Well, I don’t know who said it, but people’s beauty, like a blue jay’s, can be only skin deep. God wants our beauty to come from within. We can work at keeping our bodies lean and shapely, get face-lifts and have liposuction. We can wear beautiful clothes and have the most popular hairstyles. But how much time do we spend working on the inside – our hearts? 

Have you ever evaluated the time you spend on your fitness program compared to your spiritual program? I’m sure not trying to say that being fit is wrong. But I am getting the sense that a lot of people have gone a little overboard with the fitness program and spend too little time on the beauty of the inside.

Father, we want to be what You want us to be. We want to take care of our outward body, because we are the temple of God. But we also know that You desire that we have a quiet, gentle spirit. Help us sort out our priorities, and to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts.  Forgive us whe we rely on our own strength.  Amen.

  
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~ Katherine has been a staff member with  Power to Change Canada for 30 years. She has launched and developed many successful ministries, including  Canadian Prayer Alert, Women In Leadership, Women Today, Women Today Magazine and Women Today Online. Katherine has written and published a book, When Dreams Come True:  Women Today Online. She serves as the director for www.secretsofsuccess.com.