Insides and Outsides

I have Trisha to thank for this post. She had this little quote on her blog and it was quite profound:

"Don't compare your insides to other people's outsides." One of the big mistakes we make as people is we compare ourselves and what we feel inside (frantic, inadequate, worried and all other types of emotions) to the way people act on the outside and we find ourselves thinking they have it all together and we fall short. So do what's comfortable for you on the inside and learn to keep the perspective of what things really are.

Courtesy: Total Transformation

That is one cool statement. So many of us get hung up on a few things:
1. Our low self-opinions.
2. What we believe someone else is thinking (which is generally NOT correct).
3. The actions of other people.

Jesus offered this advice:

1 Sam. 16: 7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

Alma 18: 32 And Ammon said: Yea, and he looketh down upon all the children of men; and he knows all the thoughts and intents of the heart; for by his hand were they all created from the beginning.

Heavenly Father would never come up to me and say, "Lance, you're a dork. You look like an idiot, you have ugly hair, your breath smells, and you are worthless!" Those negative thoughts come from another source. Instead, He gently persuades me to do good and to change my bad habits by "loving me into submission".

We'd be a lot kinder to ourselves if we could only see all the good we've accomplished throughout our lives; if we could see our inner and outer selves with the clarity with which He sees us. Unfortunately, our memories are limited not only by our human natures, but by our ability to give in to negative thoughts. All of us have issues with things which seem to fog up our spiritual glasses now and again.

Don't be so hard on yourself!