Yesterday we heard the news that Jim Tessel resigned as Head Football Coach of Ohio State. The problem in my estimation is that the public life did not match the inner life. I follow Big Ten football and for year Tessel put forth this public image of being clean, honest and integrity. The last few months unfornuately a different picture is beginning to emerge which led to his resignation. The lesson for us as a believer is that I must spend time to take care of the inner life. All of us desire to look good and we have a tendency to be on our best behavior in public settings. This is not all bad but we must be careful we are not living two separate lives, one in the public, one in the private. Solomon gave us some great advice in Proverbs 4:23. "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." That is guarding our inner life. Who we really are will come out sooner or later and that usually will happen in stressful situations and in a unguarded moment we just did what we said we would not do. The key for that not happening is to prepare our heart with the knowledge and ways of God. I am encourage to hide God's word in my heart that I might not sin against Him. The goal of a believer is to have our public life and inner life be one and the same as a follower of Jesus Christ. What we are is to be plain before all men. This is the goal and is not easily obtain but with discipline and the power of the Spirit working in us is obtainable. This is one of the reason the apostle Paul said that he makes it his goal to please God and this was both in public and in private manners of life. May God give your strength in the inner man to live a life in which you will never have to be ashamed. May His grace strengthen us in our weaknesses.
Pastor John
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