It is Not the Box but What is Inside That Counts

I was recently looking through my linen closet for a hair trimming kit that is mostly used by my husband and son. While I was looking for this I saw an unfamiliar box on the bottom shelf. The lighting was not poor and I was unable to read the label to discover what was inside. After turning on the hall light and tilting my head to just the right angle, I was able to read the box. This is the box that my hairdryer had come in. It now contains the old, well used hairdryer that had been mine for many years. We had chosen to keep it as a backup. The men of my house will occasionally dry their hair before stepping outside on a cold winter morning. The motor on this dryer would no longer hold up to my continual use but would be good for this occasional need or for temporary use if anything goes wrong the current hairdryer.

When I saw that box on the bottom shelf I knew immediately what was inside. I remembered my son suggesting that we just put the old dryer and accessories into the new dryer’s box. That would make it easy to store and easy to find in the linen closet. It occurred to me that it was funny that I never even considered that the contents of this box would match its exterior. Someone outside of our family might think that it was exactly the same brand and model of the dryer that I currently use. Finding an old hairdryer of a different model and color would then be a disappointment.

What is on the label of the box is not what is really important. It is the contents of that box that truly matters. In this case the box suggests something far nicer than what it actually contains. At other times a very nice item may be packed away in a box that originally housed something of minimal value. The box just happened to be the right size for a treasure. It truly is not what the box cover displays that is important, but rather what is inside that counts.

Do we ever view people that way? Do we ever assume that someone shares our values simply because they dress like us or are of a similar age? Do hair color, skin color, clothing or any other characteristic define who the person actually is? Hopes, dreams and preferences do not necessarily show on our outward appearance. Ethics and moral standards are not always worn as jackets or shoes. For everything that physical appearance may indicate about an individual, it is the soul and spirit of a man or woman that truly makes up who we are.

Scripture addresses this topic. Believers are told not to give preference to the well-dressed and looked down on the poor or shabbily dressed. (See James chapter 2) This goes far beyond rich and poor. Do we judge people by whether they wear formal or casual clothing? Clothing, body type, age are only a few of the many, many aspects of appearance by which we can falsely judge someone. God always judges the heart of man.

Everyone who has placed their trust in Jesus Christ has been called the temple of the Holy Spirit. “Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own,” (1 Corinthians 6:19 AMP) The degree to which we allow the Holy Spirit to reign and rule in our lives is what truly matters. He is the source of all good that makes each of us who we truly are. What we do and say truly have value because of the presence of God that we carry with us each day.

When we look at each other, with all of our differences we must remember that the love of God lives inside of us. “No man has at any time [yet] seen God. But if we love one another, God abides (lives and remains) in us and His love (that love which is essentially His) is brought to completion (to its full maturity, runs its full course, is perfected) in us!” (1 John 4:12 AMP) God is the valuable gift that we have to offer to others. The apostle Paul said it so eloquently. “However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves.” (2 Corinthians 4:7 AMP)

 So both as you need others and present yourself to others, always remember that it is not the box but what is inside that counts.