Wally Cleaver's Nose

The other day, my family and I happened to be watching Leave It To Beaver, an old black and white TV show that ran from 1957-1963. The episode was the one where Beaver Cleaver’s older brother, Wally, suddenly became self-conscious of his nose. Some girl he favored made an innocent comment about it, thinking nothing of it at the time, and Wally’s feelings were hurt.Beaver overheard his father use the term “self-conscious”, so, being the inquisitive little boy he was, he asked for an explanation. His father gave a pretty good synopsis, I thought. I don’t remember the exact statement, but it was something very similar to, “A person becomes self-conscious when they think the whole world is paying attention to them for some particular reason.”As you might imagine, this got me thinking about spiritual analogies, particularly the human flesh...I’ve come to the conclusion that the flesh is its own worst enemy. On the one hand, it seeks to be the center of the universe, epitomizing the concept of self-centeredness. Yet, on the other hand, when it gets what it wants (everyone’s attention), it becomes terribly insecure, knowing that it’ll never measure up to their expectations. Talk about a sick head!

In life we see people under the trance of self-consciousness make some of the worst decisions human beings can ever make - all because of this self-inflicted, self-perpetuated disorder. We see everything from minor body modification to major surgery, and when all of that fails, even suicide. Ugh. All of this just because a person doesn’t “measure up”???The question that begs answering is, why? Why is this such a powerful emotion...and better yet, where might a person find relief from it? For us believers, the answer is very simple. A change in perspective from how man sees us to how God does. Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.Wouldn’t life be a lot easier if an afflicted person’s perspective simply changed from self-centeredness (man’s opinion of self) to Christ-centeredness (God’s opinion of self)? Doesn’t that take just a moment in time? Isn’t that something we can help others with, even - those we know who might be struggling? Yes, yes, and yes! As always, the most powerful remedy we have at our disposal is Holy Scripture. And it’s totally free (unlike the expense of partaking in the beauty industry).Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.Poor Wally Cleaver was all stressed out over nothing. Who knows, maybe if he had the money and lived in contemporary times, he’d have considered a nose job. You might giggle, but in the U.S. alone in 2016, over $16 billion was spent on cosmetic plastic surgeries, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Yowza!Here’s my suggestion. Let’s put some of these surgeons out of business by exposing the whole sham with the Light of Truth.Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.It’s a tragedy that good ole Wally suffered the way he did. Turns out by the end of the episode, he found out that the girl thought his nose was just swell, and the whole thing was a simple overreaction by a hormonal teen. I wonder how often that’s the case (not that it matters).Whatever the case may be, the point here is that when God saves us, He changes us so dramatically, so completely, so wholly, that our Savior referred to it as being “born again” (John 3:3). The flesh, our own as well as everyone’s around us, loathes this simple truth because it utterly strips it of any real access to our self-esteem. The very best the flesh can hope for in its dwindling plight is to influence our perspective, to get a believer’s attention diverted to unholy standards set up to ultimately keep us in bondage to the opinions of man.But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.Do yourself a favor my friend in Christ. Reread this blog whenever you are tempted into this kind of self-consciousness. Moreover, share this blog with someone you love, at least, and with anyone else who may need it as ointment to their soul.Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. 

For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. 

Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.
Love in Christ,

Ed Collins