Joy Forever

I’ve heard it said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Lately, I have been discovering that beauty is often overlooked. Oftentimes, more often than not, we do not gaze deep enough to see true beauty. We pass it by, distracted by the kind of ‘beauty’ that tantalizes, entices, but is nothing more than a façade.

To look upon true beauty, you have to get down on your knees. Get your hands dirty and get out of your comfort zones. Let go of every material thing, forsake it all, count it as dung, and start to plunge into the muck and the mire. Dig in the trash heaps that the world has written off as garbage, and soak your hands in soapy water, grab a sponge, and begin to scrape away the layers of filth until you hit upon the treasures unlooked for, the neglected castaways. Open your eyes to the hidden gems, buried in the rubble of despair and neglect.

It will not be easy. It cannot be. To see it, you have to let go of everything you once held as dear. You will be ridiculed. They will not understand, but I tell you this: embark upon this journey, and you will by no means regret your decision. And you will never be the same.

You will see the materialism for what it truly is, stripped of all glamour and sophistication. It is superficial and utterly worthless. And you will uncover the ‘pearl of great price.’ Invest your one wild and beautiful life in others for the sake of Jesus Christ and you will find true beauty in the most unexpected of places. It will be the little things that you were too consumed to notice before – a shy smile of gratefulness from a tiny, waiflike child with a swollen belly and eyes too large for her little head. An earsplitting grin and thankful, joy-filled eyes, a father of six young children, now enabled to support his growing family with a steady job. It will be the families in your community who are overlooked, with needs unspoken. Take time out of your day to listen to the cares of the burdened heart, pray over their life, and offer encouragement. Mentor the young, care-worn mother, and begin to notice when she is overwhelmed. You will become attuned to others’ needs, and count them as more important than your own.

Many a man has set out to uncover beauty, hoping to find fulfillment, unveiling only emptiness. True beauty, the soul-wrenching, lasting, fulfilling beauty, cannot be bought. Nor can it be conjured up. It does not fade. It is not found in the obvious places. It does not rely on the senses. And it comes at a high cost.

If you have embarked upon this journey, my friend, then you know of what I speak. You see this beauty every day. Your joy is filled to overflowing. No other thing in this world compares. But be forewarned: you cannot cling to both materialism and the true beauty in Christ. You must choose one over the other, forsaking the one and embracing the other. For none of us can serve two masters. And think on this: perhaps true beauty is not in the eye of the beholder, but rather, realized when the beholder sees worth in the eyes of the beheld.

I am not of this world. I am a spiritual being in a physical world. I do not do any of this for my own gain. How could I? It was not below Christ, neither is it too much of Him to expect any less from me. Or from you. Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28