How do you get ready?

To get ready we might; get washed, dressed, sort out our hair, brush teeth, maybe put on a bit of make up. Then we feel like we are ready to face the day - but are we really? Are these practical steps really getting ourselves ready for the day?

I ask this because I read the following passage the other day, and thought about how we prepare for each day we face. i notice how we tend to focus on the appearance we give to those around us everyday. I mean, my start to the day consists of; walking the dog, getting dressed, brushing my teeth, doing my hair, preparing the kids for school and getting lunch sorted. The normal, everyday things, then, practically, I am feeling ready for the day ahead, or at least ready to leave the house! How else are we meant to prepare what the day will bring us?

'Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewellery, or the clothing you wear— 4but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious'
1 Peter 3:3–4.

It seems, from reading this passage that we could be in danger of spending too much time adorning ourselves, and not enough time preparing ourselves. Are you concerned about what you wear? What you look like? Or are you more aware of ‘the hidden person of the heart’?

This piece of scripture encourages us not to focus on our outward appearance for our source of beauty, but to focus on character first. The hidden person the heart needs to be ready for the day ahead, as well as your body and face. Please note, this passage is NOT saying that looking good is a bad thing. We all usually feel a bit better about ourselves when we are content with what we look like, but I do think this passage is challenging us on how much investment we put on what is external.

Do you concern yourself as much with the person people are coming into contact with each day as the face people will see? Do you consider getting your heart, mind and character ready?

The reality is that people may remember a face for a moment, but the impact of a gentle and quiet spirit can last a lifetime. Making sure our hearts are ready to embrace the world is an important way to get ready, making sure our minds are quiet and not disturbed. Can you imagine what your family might be like, your workplace, your community, if everyone spent as much time preparing their hearts and minds as they did their outward appearance?

If everyone made a conscious effort to be adorned with a gentle and quiet spirit what a different world we would live in!  We can make a start at changing the world around us by making sure that we are displaying the ‘imperishable beauty’ that God has given us.

So, maybe as you get ready tomorrow, ask yourself;
How are you going to demonstrate the, ‘imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit’?
How are you going to invest in the hidden person of the heart more than your external appearance?