Image Is Everything?

Nice jacket. Nice tie. Pressed slacks. Shined shoes. This is obviously someone who has it together. After all, if they dress and look like someone on the front of a clothing cataloge they must be educated, esteemed, a developed leader, and maybe even spiritual (If not a church attender, he would most definately be welcomed)

Or could it be that all this gentlemen esteems is wearing nice clothes? Anything wrong with looking nice? Of course not! But if that is as far as it goes, there might be a problem. What about the person who dresses a bit more shabbily and yet does so for the purpose of his ministry to the homeless? He doesn't have the "proper" image...or does he?

I guess that what I have been learning is that I am quick to judge others. Just by glancing at a person's looks and what they are wearing, I make assumptions. Someone who looks like they just climbed out of bed and donned a pair of shorts is most definately an individual who needs some organization skills and most likely, a job. Could it be, however, that this unkempt looking individual only looks the way he does because of staying up all night with a sick child or spouse? I am so quick to judge!

I am even inclined to judge others while gazing their yard. Why is their yard so green? What a waste of money on water? I wish I had money to waste on watering! Or, why don't they mow their yard? Don't they care? How lazy! Again, so quick to judge without first seeking to understand others.

The danger this creates for me is that I can be tempted to work more on my image, how I appear before others, rather than on my character, who I actually am. In other words, as long as I wear the proper clothes and mow my yard, things are good. Forget the fact that I'm struggling with how to discipline my children or feel lonely, the key is that all looks well.

I guess I still need to learn from Sawyer Brown's lyrics from their song "They Don't Understand." The chorus says:
Everybody's busy with their own situation
Everybody's lost in their own little world
Bottled up, hurry it up trying to make a dream come true
Everybody's living like there ain't no tomorrow
Maybe we should stop and take a little time
Cause you never really know what your neighbor's going through

I pray that we come to the realization that image is not everything. May we cease to judge others by image alone and stop seeking to perfect our own image to the detrimate of our character. Sola gracia