A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF GODLINESS
A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF GODLINESS
By: Paul Lai
Translators: Floy Wan/ Stephen Lai
Earlier this year, our little granddaughter invited us to her school, Richmond Christian Elementary, for a preschool Easter presentation in which she was taking part. More than 17 children were involved, singing and performing actions to go with the songs. During the performance, many young parents hurried to get photos of their children with their iPhone cameras. The 10 minute program was well arranged. It started with a prayer and then was followed by choral songs and a short but clear Gospel presentation – the birth of Christ, His completeness for our incompleteness, His dying on the cross for us, His wonderful Salvation and His forgiveness of our sins.
At the close of the presentation, the teacher led the children in a prayer. During this solemn moment I saw mothers continuing to photograph their children. Among all the children there were few who truly bowed and prayed. Other children were looking around or towards their mothers’ cameras. Then I saw another most touching and beautiful picture: my granddaughter with her head bowed and hands folded together. Because of her long hair covering her face I didn’t have a completely clear view of her, but that image of her total devotion to God made a great impression upon my heart.
Like many of the little children in the performance, we often want others to look and see us only: “I am so important, so rich, so good and so talented. Look at me, not Jesus.” But if we were to really let Christ live in our heart and transform us to His Character and Godliness, our lives would not be centered around this ‘me only’ thinking. Rather, our lives would demonstrate a living out of renewed ‘Jesus only’ thinking. Whereas people tend to put most importance upon outer appearance, God looks upon and values the inner being. His desire is to begin on the inside to beautify the soul. Believing and allowing Him to do what only He can do within us will make us truly beautiful from the inside out. This is essential, especially if we desire to live child-like before God, possessing the inner beauty of a child’s soul. This is made possible through the Love from our Lord, Who is preparing a place for those that love Him.
Comments:
Bon Chan :A camera is near to impossible to capture the spiritual fellowship with our LORD.
Holden: Thank you for sharing ‘A beautiful picture of Godliness’, men can only see the exterior but God values the inner being.
Emma: Thank you Pastor Lai! I believe both the exterior and the inner soul are beautiful, especially, the beauty of a child’s soul. They are from our loving Lord, whose preparing a place for those that love Him.
Stephen Lai
French Teacher, Grades 1-5
Richmond Christian Elementary Campus