Joel 2:13—”Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.”
We try to be pleasing and courteous as humans. The short temper, greed, comparing with others, gossipping, lying, and what ever else may happen in the world is masked by our best appearance and behaviour. Just like we put on our best outfits to church, we put on our best faces in church.
But this is in contrary to what the Bible says. We are to be reborn in Christ which means our selves are buried – no faces to put on. We live keeping in mind what pleases God. When we are mindful of this, we will not require to put on faces because we will seek righteousness through our faith and obedience to the Word.
Will we falter? Definitely yes, because we are still human and everyday is a fight between our flesh and our spirit. Spirit is willing to obey but flesh is weak. But the good thing is we have a Father who waits for us to turn back to Him. If we go back to God giving our hearts than our outward masks to him, He is full of grace and mercy. Unlike us, God is slow to anger and filled with lovingkindness. When we go to God in repentance, God will take us back with open arms and wipe clean all the slates filled with the lists of our sins. Why then do we bother with looking after our masks than our hearts? Next time you encounter a situation where you try to guise some emotion, try to be aware of it. This is a big step in the right direction. We need to change our hearts to be real. Use your heart not your mask to live.
Joel 2:12-13-Yet even now, saith Jehovah, turn ye unto me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Jehovah your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
