Tallon came running into my bedroom this morning as he does every morning- way to early- and said in his patented voice, “It’s time to get up, Daddy, I’m hungry.” After a few minutes of prodding and begging we mustered our way down stairs to eat some eggs and oatmeal- a combination only a four year old would want. On our way back up the stairs I informed Tallon that we needed to make a stop in the bathroom to comb his hair, which had decided to have a party on his scalp during the night, and brush the oatmeal and egg breath out of his mouth. He grabbed his spider man “noisy” toothbrush (noisy means electric in four year old talk) and I grabbed the hair brush. As I went to comb his hair he immediately stopped me and said, “Wait Daddy, I can’t do both at the same time.” Little did he know that that statement would keep me thinking the rest of the day…
You see, he was intent on fixing his inward problem- bad breath, and I was intent on fixing his outward problem- party hair. As I started thinking about what he said a question popped into my mind- am I more interested in covering up the flaws people see me exhibit or am I more intent on fixing my inward flaws- my character? So often we are not concerned about our inward character, but only with what we portray to people- the outward appearance. We may think, “As long as I come across in a positive way I am OK even if on the inside I am wasting away.” The only problem with this perspective is that it is hypocritical. Jesus spoke to this when he referenced the Pharisees. He said in Matthew 23:27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.” I came to the conclusion that I don’t want to be like a whitewashed coffin. If I want to change and grow as a person- husband, father, worker, Christian, friend, etc.-I need to work from the inside out. After all true, lasting change starts from the inside out!
What about you? Are you brushing your hair and ignoring your smelly breath? You may look pretty from a distance, but when people get close they are going to realize you stink!
F. Reeves Cannon, III. M.A., LPC, BCPCC
- Reeves Cannon
- Florence, SC, United States
- Reeves Cannon is a board certified Professional Counselor (LPC). He graduated with honors from Dallas Theological Seminary with a Master of Arts degree in Biblical Counseling. Reeves received his undergraduate degree from Columbia International University in Youth Ministry. He is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) and a board certified Professional Christian counselor with the International Board of Christian Counselors (BCPCC). Reeves is a certified administrator of PREPARE-ENRICH, a pre-marital and marriage assessment tool for counselors and clergy. Prepare/Enrich is the most widely used premarital counseling tool in the United States today. Reeves also travels around the southeast as a seminar speaker for Walk Thru the Bible Ministries. The subject of personality, relationships, and team building are the focus of those seminars. Reeves is the Director of Counseling at the church at Sandhurst in Florence, SC. The purpose of the counseling center is to provide Biblically centered professional counsel to individuals, couples and families in Florence and the surrounding area so that God may be glorified and lives transformed.