This morning, I was awakened by the feeling of something crawling on my shoulder. In my half sleep, I believe what remained of the insect under my hand was a spider. So, my early thoughts of the morning wondered if there was anything to the claim that the average person swallows eight spiders every year while sleeping.
I discovered that this is a popular urban legend. In a 1993 PC Professional article, columnist Lisa Holst wrote about the ever-present lists of “facts” that were circulating through e-mail and how quickly they were accepted as truth. Holst demonstrated her point by offering up her own list of ridiculous “facts” among which included the statistic cited above about the average person’s swallowing eight spiders per year. She found this “fact” from a collection of common mis-beliefs printed in a 1954 book on insect folklore. Holst’s promotion of this false “fact” became one of the most widely-circulated bits of misinformation still alive the internet.
Now, I was feeling less gullible, but still glad the spider was discovered on the outside of my digestion system. Outside is better than inside.
In God’s world, inside is better than outside. Jesus was not talking about spiders, but about the human condition. Our attitude, character, thoughts and intents of the heart are the things that matter. If we have a bad hair day, mismatched socks and clashing colors, but our character is pure, we are looking good. If we are dressed to the “t” but have stinkin’ thinkin’ (borrowing Joyce Meyer’s phrase) we better go back to the dressing room and get presentable.
The Holy Spirit has a dressing room for each of us. Our position is on our knees with our face to the Lord instead of standing tall in front of a mirror. The Holy Spirit reveals the areas inside of us that are in need of attention. When we look intently on the Lord, we begin to reflect His grace, wisdom, and love. Authenticity of being fully everything that God has designed us to be makes us radiate a beauty or handsomeness that shows our family resemblance to Him.
Luke 6:45
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
I discovered that this is a popular urban legend. In a 1993 PC Professional article, columnist Lisa Holst wrote about the ever-present lists of “facts” that were circulating through e-mail and how quickly they were accepted as truth. Holst demonstrated her point by offering up her own list of ridiculous “facts” among which included the statistic cited above about the average person’s swallowing eight spiders per year. She found this “fact” from a collection of common mis-beliefs printed in a 1954 book on insect folklore. Holst’s promotion of this false “fact” became one of the most widely-circulated bits of misinformation still alive the internet.
Now, I was feeling less gullible, but still glad the spider was discovered on the outside of my digestion system. Outside is better than inside.
In God’s world, inside is better than outside. Jesus was not talking about spiders, but about the human condition. Our attitude, character, thoughts and intents of the heart are the things that matter. If we have a bad hair day, mismatched socks and clashing colors, but our character is pure, we are looking good. If we are dressed to the “t” but have stinkin’ thinkin’ (borrowing Joyce Meyer’s phrase) we better go back to the dressing room and get presentable.
The Holy Spirit has a dressing room for each of us. Our position is on our knees with our face to the Lord instead of standing tall in front of a mirror. The Holy Spirit reveals the areas inside of us that are in need of attention. When we look intently on the Lord, we begin to reflect His grace, wisdom, and love. Authenticity of being fully everything that God has designed us to be makes us radiate a beauty or handsomeness that shows our family resemblance to Him.
Luke 6:45
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
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