The sod is in bad shape. In fact, it is the wrong type of grass for the climate here, we were told by a professional landscaper, a brother in Christ. And the shrubbery was unkempt and in need of a haircut. The windows were half hidden, and most of the bushes were ragged or wilted from the recent drought, or left to grow in an unwieldy, leggy manner. The drainage put in by the original contractor had been wrecked by the previous owner's irresponsible planting to the point that rainwater stood along the sides of the house or seeped onto the back porch. Then there is the color, which I have already ranted about in a previous post, so we will let that go this morning!
So yes, there is a lot left to do, but some of that can wait without causing any harm. After all, it's the inside that counts, isn't it? At least, that's what we always say. Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside may become clean too! Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matt 23:25-28).
Even though we know that, or at least give lip service to it, I find that sometimes we go overboard just a little on "what something might look like." Anyone with a smidgen of imagination can come up with terrible things that the most innocent action might "look like." Let's just say that the men of the church decided to get together and take care of some much needed lawn and building maintenance themselves and save the church the cost of hiring someone else to do it (not that there is anything wrong with that). About noon, the ladies of the church decide they will do their part by furnishing lunch for these hardworking men, so they show up with several kinds of sandwiches, bowls of potato salad, various sorts of chips, brownies, cookies, and beverages. After a good meal, the ladies clean up while the men finish the work. What in the world could possibly be wrong with that? Good motives, good hearts, good attitudes all around, and saving the Lord's money to boot.
I will tell you what someone said many decades ago: "Why, imagine what that looks like! Anyone driving by would think we were having a church picnic with the money coming out of the treasury. We shouldn't be doing that!" And so that person would deny people the opportunity to serve simply because of what it might "look like." He would spend the Lord's money, money that could have gone to a needy saint or for preaching the gospel. And all because of "how it might look."
"How something looks" is not the source of authority for New Testament Christians. Our source of authority is God's Word. Period. Paul regularly scolds those who would make ridiculous arguments and hinder the work and the saving of souls because of it. If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ…he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people… (1Tim 6:3-6).
So, as our Lord said, take care of the inside first, then worry about the outside. Nothing those brothers and sisters did was wrong, but the heart of the one who complained certainly had something amiss to be able to make assumptions about passersby he did not know, and who probably never even noticed what was going on because the building is well off the road.
As for me and my new house, that might mean we look like a big cement block for a while longer, but inside, we should still strive to be a home of love, faithfulness, and godliness. Soon enough, we can work on the outside.
I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house (Ps 101:2).
Dene Ward