What are you covering up?

MondayMONEY Devotion

"People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

1 Samuel 16:7

The other day, someone told me how handsome my son is.

And he is.

But it made me think about how quickly we decide what someone is worth based on what we can see.

A person may have a limp, a stutter, or something visible in their body. They may not fit the height, weight, complexion, style, or facial features the world has decided are attractive. Before we have heard one word from them, we may decide they are not someone we want to know, listen to, or be associated with.

That is a dangerous place to stop.

Some of the most beautiful people I know would not fit the world's little checklist of beauty. But their character is solid. They are loyal. They are dependable. They tell the truth. They are loving, patient, and full of grace.

You would miss all of that if you stopped at the door of appearance.

Money has an outside picture too

You can see someone's house, car, job title, clothes, vacation pictures, or the way they carry themselves, and decide they must be doing well. But you do not know the whole story.

You do not know whether the house is rented. You do not know whether the mortgage is behind. You do not know whether the car is leased. You do not know what it cost them to keep up the appearance. You do not know whether more hours at work are draining the time and attention their marriage or children need.

The outside does not always tell you what is happening on the inside.

And then there is the harder question.

What have you painted onto your own financial picture?

Maybe it is the car in the driveway. Maybe it is the title on the business card. Maybe it is the clothes, the image, the smile, or the way you answer when someone asks how things are going.

After a while, you can look at the paint so long that you start believing it yourself.

But being honest is not about beating yourself up. It is about being able to repair what is really there.

Do not cover the crack

Years ago, when I worked in industrial safety, I taught people how to inspect a safety helmet, a hard hat. One of the rules was not to paint it or cover it in stickers.

Because paint and stickers can cover a crack.

If you cannot see the crack, you cannot deal with the crack. And if that hard hat is meant to protect you, covering up the problem does not make it safer. It only makes the problem harder to see.

Your finances need that same kind of honest inspection.

The external things may earn compliments. They may look impressive. But compliments cannot repair a crack. Only truth can do that.

Today, peel back one layer. Open the account you have avoided. Look at the real balance. Write down the number. Let it be what it is.

God already sees it. You do not have to perform for Him.

Reflection

• What external thing causes you to make assumptions about someone else's financial life?
• What part of your own financial picture have you been avoiding?
• What is one number you need to look at honestly today?

Prayer

Lord, help me see people the way You see them. Keep me from judging by appearances, whether I am looking at someone else or looking at myself. Give me the courage to be honest about what is underneath the paint. Show me what needs attention, and help me take the next right step. Amen.