We saw Harry Styles at Chipotle. Well, it could have been Harry Styles. He looked an awful lot like him, and confidence oozed out of his perfect pores, just as it does out of the famous British singer/songwriter.

However, in the parking lot, my daughters and I witnessed this doppelganger blowing his nose without a tissue onto the blacktop. Eww!  

As it turns out, “looks a lot like” and “is” are not the same thing.

Jesus had harsh words for people whose outsides did not match their insides. He called them hypocrites, blind guides, and snakes. His words were especially harsh because these people were in position to lead others astray.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence” (Matthew 23:25).

As parents, teachers, managers, coaches, and older siblings, we are also in positions that could potentially lead others astray. Our outsides haven’t always matched our insides. We’ve served, but begrudgingly. We’ve parented, but out of pride. We’ve worked diligently, but it was so we could gratify our lust for pleasure and status.

Like Paul, we lament, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” (Romans 7:24). And like Paul, we rejoice, “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25). Through Christ, our outsides and insides are clean.