¿boןq sıɥʇ ɹÇ�qɯÇ�ɯÇ�ɹ Well the kingdom of God is not only upside down, it is also inside out (too bad there is not a cool text generator for that!). Let me explain. The world tries to do everything from the outside in: we judge people by their external appearance; we try to control people’s external behavior. God does things from the inside out. He wants to change our hearts first, and then our behavior will follow.
In the area we live in in Laos, there are many Buddhist monks, who distinguish themselves by their external appearance of wearing orange robes.
Here is a poem I wrote 4 years ago while grappling with this:
Inside
I just want to be with You
Spend my life in your creation
Be led like a little lamb
Tear down my idols
Be an example
Do Your will
Please You
Outside
So many distractions to pull me away
Go to class and make the grades
Be my own person, make my own rules
Worship the gods of status and sex
Blend in with the crowd
Live for the moment
Please other people
My culture tells me
It’s appearance that counts
I know they are wrong
But how do I make the inside come out?
Most people think that Christianity is a set of rules and regulations that govern behavior. We go to church, we don’t swear, etc. But these things are only physical representations of heart change. Christianity is a love relationship that transforms hearts, which in turn affects our actions.
When we love someone, we know them intimately. We do things to please them out of love, not obligation, and attempt not to do things which would hurt our loved ones’ hearts. In a marriage, a husband doesn’t bring his wife flowers out of obligation; he does it out of love. A wife is not faithful to her husband because infidelity is against the rules, she knows her betrayal would devastate him and seeing him this way would hurt her as well.
God does not want us to put on the external façade of a Christian; He wants our hearts. From there He brings love, healing, and joy. It is from the wellspring of love within us that we live.
