Tag: spiritual revival

“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 people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” —1 Samuel 16:7

I was teaching a Bible study last week from the Vintage Faith workbook. We were studying Chapter Six, which examines the ways we can seek God for the empty places in life. I’m not sure how we got around to discussing Botox, but those of you who have heard me teach know that I’m inclined to apply God’s truth in some unusual ways.

I think a friend said something like, “Women today are spending a ton of money getting fillers for their wrinkles, and yet what we truly need is a filler for our souls.” The wheels in my head began to turn, and I thought about how most of us need to find some spiritual Botox for our souls. This article is the product of that train of thought. 

Are we as passionate for our souls as we are for our outward appearance? Are we more concerned about getting rid of wrinkles than we are about ridding our lives of the things that separate us from a close relationship with God? Do we wish for the passionate faith of our youth as much as we want more youthful-looking faces? I can’t answer those questions for anyone but myself.

Everyone goes through dry, distracted times of life. The holidays are coming, and it will get busy. It’s tough to make time for God when there is a giant meal to put on the table or a long list of details to attend to. If we aren’t careful, we will realize that our souls have drifted from the One we had intended to celebrate. 

The solution: let’s get some spiritual Botox now, before the holiday arrives.

What is spiritual Botox?

We’ve all heard of Botox, and many have actually undergone a treatment or two. AI estimates that Americans will spend between $3 and $4.6 billion on Botox each year. That is somewhere between six and eight million procedures. And those numbers are increasing as young people are signing up for the shots. Personally, I’ve warned Jim that I just plan to wrinkle and enjoy spending that money on something else. 

But I do like the idea of restoring my soul with some fillers. What is spiritual Botox? What fills our souls and makes our Christian witness look a bit more appealing to others? The Bible has some great answers to that question!

Biblical solutions for testing our souls

• Examine your priorities. Are you more interested in looking good on the outside than you are in being good with God? Paul taught the Roman Christians, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). Who and what has the strongest influence on your priorities? If it isn’t God, then Romans 12:1 is an important place to begin. We all need to make our lives a “living sacrifice” to God in order to have a “renewed, transformed mind.” If you struggle to know God’s voice and sense his direction, then remember it is in living for God’s purpose that we learn to walk with him closely. If your priority is God’s will, you will spend whatever effort is necessary to maintain a right relationship with him.
• Become a fruit inspector. The Bible lists the fruit of the Spirit as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22). It isn’t difficult to know the condition of your soul. When we are close to God, we are “attached to the vine,” as Jesus taught. Our Christian character, the character of the Holy Spirit, is evident when we are walking with God. If we are “keeping in step” with Jesus (Galatians 5:25), we will naturally produce the fruit of his Spirit. Just remember that genuine fruit will never be perfect this side of heaven. Most of us have learned to produce the artificial fruit that only looks good. Strive for an honest witness that is true, but imperfect. Real fruit rarely looks perfect, but it is the fruit that is filling and can be offered as food for others. 
• Inspect your evangelism. Jesus told his disciples, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:38). How much time do you spend sharing your faith? Does your heart beat fast with the chance to share Jesus? If we are walking in a right relationship with Christ, our lives will overflow with his love and the gospel message of salvation. Does it feel like an effort to share Christ or an opportunity?

The truth about Botox has truth for our souls

Everyone who has a Botox shot will need to have more Botox shots in the future. Botox doesn’t last. Botox eliminates some wrinkles, but those wrinkles, and more, will surely reappear. Botox is always temporary, like most spiritual revival. Our love for Jesus and our desire to live for him is constantly wearing out. We have to continually return for more fillers if we want to keep our souls strong. Most of us make spiritual commitments only to realize those commitments have waned later on. 

Everything is temporary this side of heaven. Everything on Earth will have a beginning and an end. Botox and fillers are a temporary solution to a permanent problem. God made us to age as a result of the fall. The only permanent solution to aging is death. The world’s Botox is different from the Lord’s. Spiritual Botox provides the very real, certain hope of heaven. Spiritual Botox is about focusing our souls, hearts, and minds on the eternal.

Everything and everyone in heaven is eternally right with God. 

Search for spiritual Botox

Your personal appearance is between you and God. I plan to wrinkle because some of my favorite Christians, the people who had a powerful influence in my life, had a lot of wrinkles. God told Job, “Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days” (Job 12:12). I have been blessed to know and observe the confident faith of people who have seen a LOT of birthdays. Wisdom truly does come with age. If someone could offer me a chance to be twenty-nine again, I would say “no.” The joy of aging is the joy of knowing we are one day closer to the perfection and people in heaven.

Until then, let’s set our minds “on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth” (Colossians 3:2). We can look in our mirrors and see wrinkles, or we can look in our mirrors and see wisdom. We can spend our time and money trying to look younger, or we can live with priorities that deepen our relationship with God and others.

We are entering a busy, distracted time of year. Will we care more about the way we look at a party, or will we care more about the chance to share the true joy and meaning of a holy season? Jesus didn’t come to earth to keep us young; he came to earth to make us eternal.

Let’s make that truth the spiritual Botox for our souls. That priority will produce the joy of the holidays and the filler our souls truly need.