Are you constantly finding yourself with your nose in your phone look through Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok? What are you looking at? The next new electronic gadget or phone? Maybe the new Gucci bag or shoes? Or what about the latest band on YouTube? Are all these things filling up hours of your time?

Probably, because they’re pretty. Or because they are what everyone else wants so you need to have it too.

Where is your focus? Are you looking to fit in or be an individual? Or are you worried that if you don’t stand out that your life won’t have value?

Why?

What we build our lives on and what we see as important can actually hurt us, when it is not lined up with God’s will for our lives.

A train may look great on the outside, but if the inner workings are not up to date and taken care of on a regular basis the train will not work. It is the same in our lives. We can have the newest phone, the prettiest brand name clothes, but none of it actually changes who we are or helps us to grow. Even if we decide to cover our train cars in gold, it will not help it to move. God wants us to focus our lives on what truly matters; our heart and serving him.

When you look up luxury trains, you don’t really care much what the outside of the train looks like when the inside has amazing restaurants, bathrooms, sleeping and seating quarters. Some even have beautifully decorated and furnished viewing cars with windows all around so you can enjoy the scenery with a cold drink as the train is moving through an ever changing landscape. That is what you truly want. A train you know is going to get you where you want to go and for it to be as comfortable as possible for your long journey. Who cares what the outside looks like, when you’re inside the train you can’t see the outside anyway.

1 Peter 3:3-4 – Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

Even when selecting a king for Israel God told the prophet Samuel to not look at the outward – his handsome face, the muscles, or even his height. What was important was the heart of the man who was going to be the first king of Israel.

1 Samuel 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.

So again, where is your focus? Are you focused on what the world offers as beauty; clothes, makeup, fame? Or are you working on beautifying your heart with love, kindness, compassion, and gentleness?

Are you more worried about the state of the outside our train, that people will see at a glance and judge you by, or the inside that is designed by God and you know works? The choice is yours what you make your train to be. Don’t just go with the flow of making your outside pretty, consider God’s way. You want a working train and life, trust me.