God Don't Like Ugly

I spend far too much time on social media, Facebook and Pinterest being my favorite hangouts. Though some content leaves me clutching my proverbial pearls and wondering what’s wrong with folks, I learn the most in the comments.

(And laugh till I cry at the memes. Seriously, some o' y'all need to quit your day jobs and go into comedy.)

And in the comments, I often find the following phrase:

“God don’t like ugly.”



DepositPhotos / Stock Images
This four-word observation usually suggests someone is suffering, being punished, or experiencing negative consequences because God looked down from heaven, saw what they done did, and made sure they got what was coming to them.

“God don’t like ugly.”

I can’t even pretend I’ve never thought the same thing—even if I had the sense not to post it on the interwebs. When something bad happens to a bad person who did something bad to a good person, it’s only logical to revel in that a bit.

“God don’t like ugly.”

Or does He?

We know from our favorite Old Testament stories that God specialized in smiting his enemies, and we even have Romans 12:19 in the grace-focused New Testament where God says vengeance is His. But the following verses charge us to be good to our enemies and to overcome evil with good. Why would God want us to be good to someone he planned to smite as soon as he got the chance?

Because contrary to what that saying suggestions, God loves ugly.

How do I know that?

Because God loves me, and I am ugly.

I can cover it with makeup and a smile. I can distract you from it with my talents, positive habits, and winning personality. I might even convince you in the right situation that I am practically perfect in every way.

But when I wound my husband by speaking without thinking, I am ugly.

And God still loves me.

When I put my needs first because I just feel like being selfish that day, I am ugly.

And God loves me anyway.

When I lie or lust, covet or criticize, I am ugliness personified.

And God loves me no less.

God loves me because He is love not because of what I do or don’t do, say or don’t say. I can’t earn more love by being better, and I can’t lose His love by acting a fool...

...or saying someone deserves a recompense for their nonsense that I wouldn’t want for my own.

No, God don’t like ugly. He loves it—died for and redeemed it—and I am eternally grateful to Him for that.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Guest Post: Marcena Hooks, Writing Process Blog Tour

Image
We're still touring, y'all! Having conquered the mysterious, belligerent assault on my stomach earlier this week--let's hope there's no encore performance--I hereby share Marcena Hooks' contribution to the Writing Process Blog Tour. She is excited to participate, and I gladly yield her the floor. Take it away, Marcena!
Read more

Book Review: "Me and Mom Fall for Spencer" by Diane Munier

Image
When recently asked what she thinks of the [ Twilight fanfiction] world, author Diane Munier said, “What [ Twilight author] SM achieved in my opinion was the ability to make women feel first love….That woman took us into the ache.” I hope Ms. Munier will pardon me for appropriating her words, but that statement perfectly encapsulates the magic of her own writing: this woman takes us into ourselves, moving us with a deeply satisfying story in the process. Through the eyes of her beautifully flawed characters, Munier takes us to the bottom of our souls, revealing everything we are and everything we wish we weren’t. We confront our pasts, unearthing treasures we never knew were there, and baby-step our way toward a future we didn’t know we could have. Munier has been doing it for years under the apt pseudonym “Counselor” in the Twilight fanfiction world, and she does it this time for the masses with her first fanfic-turned-novel, Me and Mom Fall for Spencer. In this p...
Read more

The After-Turkey Toil

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and I hope the day brought you warmth, laughter, and tangible reminders of the beauty in your life. (And if not, here's a hug from my heart to yours.) Our day was full of exquisite cuisine--special shout out to my Dude for making a grilled BBQ turkey breast that made my mother slap me!--and new memories with old friends and family. It was a miracle, a literal answer to prayer, and I was so blessed to see it happen under our roof. But after everyone left, I was alone with the kitchen (point of fact: my Dude was taking people home; otherwise he would have been there with me.) You can imagine how it looked: slightly crumpled foil pans, half-full cups of juice, huge pots that wouldn't fit in the refrigerator, and a white kitchen floor tattooed with food and footprints. As I formed a plan of attack, I remembered those FB posts and Instagram pics of proud chefs with their culinary creations and wondered how many people are just as excited to fa...
Read more