Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

I was talking with a friend about this very topic today. We were talking about how people like to pretty up their outside presentation to others in life: Women put on makeup to cover over blemishes. Some wear scarves to cover over a tracheotomy. And people even get plastic surgery to remove scars and “feel better about themselves”.

Some of these things are good, right?
“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭9‬)

The whole point is, we are supposed to be shining the light of Christ through us, not covering up our blemishes to make us look better spiritually. This means being transparent and honest about our struggles, our needs, and our dependence on God and the body of Christ. When we act like we have everything put together, we push other people off and hinder the relationships God is trying to build.

So show off those scars, acknowledge those inadequacies, and ask for help or prayer, when needed.

Lord, you love me and you made me to live in community, with a hole in my heart that’s only filled by you. Help me to be honest, transparent, and humble as I serve you. May I put more focus on the condition of my heart than the appearance of my spiritual skin.