The definition of “façade” is, “a superficial appearance or illusion of something”. An example in a sentence would be, “They managed somehow to maintain a facade of wealth.” In other words, they were able to fool others into thinking they were wealthy when they really weren’t.
You may know the story of David being chosen to replace Saul as the king of Israel. You can read about that process in 1 Samuel 15 and 16. God had rejected Saul as king because he had not fully obeyed God. God sent his prophet Samuel to the house of a man named Jessie because God had chosen one of Jessie’s sons to be the next king. When Samuel got to Jessie’s house he had seven of Jessie’s sons pass by him to see which one God had chosen to be the next king.
Samuel was impressed with the first son who passed by and thought, “Surely the LORD’S anointed stands here before the LORD.” 1 Samuel 16:6. But God had other ideas. He replied to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” It wasn’t until the eighth son, David, had passed by that God’s chosen one was revealed.
Three thousand years later, a lot of people are still putting on a facade and are more concerned about their outward appearance than what is on the inside. According to FASIONISM INSIDER, a recent marketing survey indicated Canadian women spend an average of $600 annually on makeup. So, an average Canadian woman who used make up for thirty years would spend $18,000 on make up over that period of time (and that doesn’t take inflation into consideration). Furthermore, CNN recently reported that, “Despite record unemployment, rising health care costs and sinking home values – Americans shelled out more than $10 billion on cosmetic surgery and other procedures last year.”
It is not just women who are spending the money on their outward appearance. According to the July 19, 2012 PRNewswire, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery has reported that 2011 saw some 800,000 men receiving cosmetic procedures. That’s roughly nine percent of the total number of surgeries and an amazing 121% increase over similar numbers from 1997!
While there is nothing wrong with trying to look your best, God would be much more pleased if we took as much or more care with how we looked on the inside than on how we looked on the outside. Here are a few verses that emphasize this point.
“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6:8
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewellery and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”
1 Peter 3:3-4
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Colossians 3:12-14
It is reasonable to want to look good on the outside, but you aren’t going to impress God in doing so. What will please him is a heart that is devoted to Him and the effort you put in to try to obey and imitate Him.
