I’m reminded today that my body is the part of me that will fade away. It’s my soul, my spirit, my inner self that will last forever. That’s the real me, the part that really matters.
Our society places such emphasis on the outer image of a person. This is so sad. Even young boys feel insecure about how they look nowadays. Just Tuesday an eighth grade boy wore a hoodie in the heat because he feels better covering up his body. He voiced this to me when I saw him sweating and suggested he remove his sweatshirt.
Our bodies are flawed. They are wasting away a little more each day. Some are on a quest to find the fountain of youth. They seek eternity in earthly things. They will come up short, empty handed and disappointed because exhausting our resources on something that’s fading is pointless.
We wouldn’t invest our money in a dying company, so why invest so much time, money and energy in the way we look outwardly?
Our outer self is decaying. In ministry I see men especially struggle when they are no longer able to physically do certain things. Some feel worthless because they cannot lift 50 pounds any longer. I’m thinking this way of thinking probably stems from self worth being tied to their physical abilities. Maybe they have looked at someone else and devalued them for their disability? As a citizen of God’s Kingdom I cannot value people for their bodies but for their souls!
This is a rich chapter of scripture, 2 Corinthians 4. Verse 14 says that he who raised Jesus will also raise us. Here’s verse 17-18: ”17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.“
Wow! What encouragement! This life of suffering is called light affliction and pales in comparison to eternity. We must place our efforts on our souls, not our bodies. We especially should value others for who they really are, not what they look like or what their physical capabilities are.
Do not lose heart! Aging bodies are normal! Do not miss out on this renewal of the inner self. This can only happen through our relationship with God, the renewer of all things. Give God your sin. Seek inner beauty, purity and cleanliness today. This is true beauty, true worth!
Jeni Martin Johnson 
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