Every year, approximately four million people visit Old Faithful, a geyser in Yellowstone National Park.
The geyser gets its name from its consistency. Park rangers can estimate the timing of the next eruption within 10 minutes one way or the other.
While many people appreciate the show of seeing 32,000 liters of water spraying 60 meters in the air, the most important part of Old Faithful is the unseen part. The unique configuration of the underground tunnels combined with the right amount of heat and water is what causes the outward display to be so beautiful and consistent.
Similarly, for Christians, it is the unseen part of us that is the most important. Anyone can put on a show, but it is who we are at our core that makes the real difference. As Pete Scazzero likes to say, “What I do is important. Who I am matters much more.”
That understanding was one of the secrets to the apostle Paul’s success. He stated, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13).
Paul’s outward circumstances did not define him. What kept him going was the knowledge that God loved him, Jesus died for him, and the Holy Spirit lived in him. Deep down, everything was fine because his true identity was untouched.
Churches and individual Christians make a huge mistake when we only deal with surface-level issues. If our only answer is to put on a better show, we are in big trouble. We must be concerned with soul-level changes. We need new hearts and renewed vision. We need to be transformed (Romans 12:1).
Putting on a better show does not help. Real change only comes at the deepest part of ourselves.
Do not quit until “Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19).
