Romans 2:28-29 - “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”
Outward, inward…it’s that whole problem of making sure the two are integrated and congruent. I see it all the time. People’s lives crumble because one is not reflective of the other. We try to put our game face on and make sure we’re presentable to the crowd but inwardly there is chaos and conflict resulting in confusion. So who are we really? Are we the outward person or the inward person?
Paul is saying it doesn’t matter what the label is outside…what matters is the substance inside. The idea that circumcision made you a Jew is kin to the idea that church attendance makes you a Christian. While both are beneficial both are not defining. Whatever we do, we must pay attention to the secret stuff. We have to be constantly aware of what’s underneath the make-up, the clothing, the perfume, the “whatever” that dresses us up to the outside world and declares to the masses, “This is me!” Because we know whom the real me is, don’t we?
Today’s Bible reading in Psalms connects to Paul’s writing in Romans. Psalm 1:3 – “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Once the foundations of a building are laid they are soon forgotten because they are buried and not seen again. But if something goes wrong with that foundation you have a serious problem because the whole building is in jeopardy. Same with our lives. Neglecting the unseen will sooner or later create instability. The danger is that somewhere down the road a collapse may be imminent.
After reading this devotional why not kick back for a minute and ask God to repair the inside? Spend time focusing on what others don’t see. Cultivate your spirit to become strong and in communion with God. Therein lies your strength and stability.