The pain of shopping abroad

I’ve lived in the Netherlands for over a year now, and although many people speak English, the first language here is Dutch. Even the labels in supermarkets are in Dutch, and therefore it has happened quite a few times that I thought I was buying one thing but ended up with something else altogether.

Something can look good and tasty on the outside, because of the colourful and appealing packaging, but it's what’s on the inside that matters.

The same is true for the ten virgins from Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25. They probably all looked the part—dressed up and made beautiful for the wedding with shiny lamps, waiting for the groom to arrive, but in the end, none of that mattered. Only the five with extra oil inside their lamps were let into the party.

That message hits home for us, too. In a world that’s obsessed with appearances—what we wear, what we own, how we present ourselves—God is looking at something deeper.

“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7 NIV

In His most famous teaching, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus echoed this and explained how we should not be consumed with what we’ll eat or wear. He ends by saying:

“Your Heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” – Matthew 6:25-34 NIV

Let’s pray together.

Heavenly Father, thank You for looking at my heart, not just my outward appearance. Help me seek You above all else, and may my life be rich with the oil of intimacy. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Hey! You are a Chamatkar.

Cameron Mendes