How Do I Look?

 Lately, I have been watching the show "How Do I Look?" on the style network. I seem to watch these kind of shows only randomly, but when I do, I can find them fascinating.

I mean, what's not exciting about the idea of someone given the opportunity to become a completely new person? We watch in awe, as if the very idea were unbelievable. We are awe-struck and sometimes brought to tears, as each participant marvels at the changes they see in themselves and exclaims, "I am completely transformed! I can't believe it!" 

Now, don't get me wrong. I can see the psychological benefits to helping a person improve their self-image through uplifting them and drawing out their physical beauty. However, what bothers me is that the show (and others like it) tend to focus solely on  only changing the outer layer of the person.  It seems they believe that by doing this, they have somehow made the person not only whole, but completely and utterly brand new. This would be one of the reasons I can only watch this show every once in awhile. After while, the reality of how superficial it all is, becomes way to obvious and as my husband so aptly put while watching the show with me, "When will they get that there is more to life than material things?"

As I was listening to some of the participants state things like, "I am a completely new ... a transformed person", "I am never going to be the same again... I am never going back to my old ways..." I could not help but think about another, even deeper type of transformation. The one I'm talking about is referred to in Romans 12:2... 

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

And what worries me is that we, all of us living here on this earth, are more apt to go for the change we see on TV shows like "How do I Look?' then pursue this deeper kind of life transformation, which is described in the scripture above. Take a moment to think, how similar are these two types of transformation? Can you find any similarities? My guess is, probably not.

Now, take a moment to look at the vast difference... starting with the beginning of verse 2, "And do not be conformed to this world...." If that is the case, should our focus be on material things, such as this show would have us believe? Or something much deeper?

What if we all took as much energy into transforming our minds, in order to be more Christ-like, as we did in transforming our physical appearance to match the most recent fads and expectations put upon us from our culture? 

What if there was a TV show that stopped to ask the question "How Do I Look?" but didn't refer to physical appearance, but rather the at the heart of the matter, both literally and figuratively. 

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. 
 1 Samuel 16:7

What if the host of the show was instead Jesus, and we stood and watched as He helped us throw out all those hideous, old, outdated and sinful clothing, which we should never have been wearing in the first place. We continue to watch, in amazement, as we see Him not pour out money, as the TV show would do, but instead pours out Himself as our payment, in order to replace all of our old wardrobe, which was heavily weighed down by sin,  and He replaces it all with an amazing, life-transforming, beautiful robe of righteousness, which only He could give?

  He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Psalm 23:3

We all desire to be adored, appreciated, seen as beautiful, accepted and so much more, but when we seek for the restoration of our souls and ultimate fulfillment in all the wrong places, such as simply changing our physical appearance to please others or ourselves, we miss out on the ultimate gift,  which is Jesus Christ himself.