Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen in Me

Yesterday was my birthday (yay!).  For me, birthdays are a day of self-reflection.  Have I grown?  When I think back over the past year, are there more or less moments I’m not proud of?

“Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen In Me” is a hymn written by Tom M. Jones.  This song was led at a ladies’ retreat a couple of weeks ago, and the words have been rolling around in my head ever since.  The message really struck a chord with me this time.  I’ve decided that this song will be my theme for this next year of my life.

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
All His wonderful passion and purity.
May His Spirit divine all my being refine
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

Claiming to be a Christian is one thing–living it out is quite another.  The fact that I follow Christ should be seen by others without my having to announce it (or post it on Facebook).  As the verse says, this takes refining by setting my mind on the things of the Spirit (Rom. 8:5-14).  If I walk by the Spirit, I will reflect the purity of Christ instead of giving in to my own weaknesses (Gal. 5:16).

When your burden is heavy and hard to bear
When your neighbors refuse all your load to share
When you’re feeling so blue, Don’t know just what to do
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you.

I think the nature of our burdens and the sources of our blues change as we age.  Do we ever get to the point where we don’t suffer from time to time?  Not on this side of Heaven (Rev. 21:1-4).  Whether I’m experiencing trials, struggling with inadequacy, or just plain feeling sorry for myself, may I have the wisdom and grace to act like a woman blessed anyway.

When somebody has been so unkind to you,
Some word spoken that pierces you through and through.
Think how He was beguiled, spat upon and reviled,
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you

It’s easy to be warm and friendly to warm and friendly people.  Jesus commands that I be warm and friendly even to those who have been unkind to me personally (Matt. 5:38-48).  When I want to defend myself or offer the cold shoulder, I must remember that the only way to share the beauty of Jesus is to instead offer love, goodness, and prayers.

From the dawn of the morning till close of day,
In example in deeds and in all you say,
Lay your gifts at His feet, ever strive to keep sweet
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you.

This last verse is the true challenge for me.  It reminds me to be Christ-like 24/7, not just when I feel like it.  This beauty must be shared with my very own family, with every member of the body of Christ, and with every neighbor, co-worker, or community member.  In every word or deed, even when I’m tired, cross, overwhelmed, rushed, distracted, or stressed, I must “ever strive to keep sweet.”  The motivation is a good one, though–it’s a gift I’m laying at His feet.  It is all for the glory of God (Matt. 5:16). If my own glory becomes my motivation, I’ll need to go back and focus on the refining mentioned in the first verse of the song.

 

Author: Kathy Pollard

I'm a Christian woman, happily married to my best friend, Neal. We have 3 grown sons, Gary, Dale, and Carl, and 3 sweet daughters-in-law, Chelsea, Janelle, and Emily. Neal preaches for the Lehman Ave. church of Christ in Bowling Green, KY. We love the Lord and His church!

10 thoughts on “Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen in Me”

  4. Hello,
    Actually, just to clarify, the tune to which “Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen” is most often sung was written by Tom Jones (in 1927). But, the words (the poem) were written by two other people. Albert W.T. Orsborn wrote the first two verses in 1916, and then George L. Johnson wrote a 3rd verse in 1934.

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