Candy Coated Character

Of all the candy I have enjoyed in fifty-something years, perhaps my favorite was Thunderbolts gum. It seemed innocent enough: resting on the shelves at the store, with an unassuming wrapper, in the company of an abundance of other harmless candies. Just a simple jawbreaker-style piece of sugary goodness, colored in all the typical shades of candy coatings - green, blue, red, orange, and yellow. Many a person bit into that gumball with great anticipation to enjoy a taste of the grape or cherry, only to be suddenly traumatized by the unexpected revelation that greeted them the moment their teeth chomped down. Each one was awakened by the startling realization that they were biting into what could best be described as pure battery acid.

The sour explosion disintegrated teeth, dissolved tongues, and put holes in cheeks. Okay, my memory might be hazy on that part, but it sure felt like that was what was happening. It turned your mouth inside out. I wouldn’t be surprised to find that at some point the FDA, FBI, or some other government entity outlawed it or at least banned it from human consumption.

It looked sweet on the outside, but one bite revealed the truth of what was inside, just below the surface. It was always sour—the bite just exposed its true nature. When the bite came, it brought out the truth of what was always at the center.

We find people can be like that, too. On the outside, unassuming and innocent enough. Working in the same office as us, walking the same aisles at the store with us, sitting in the pews at church with us. Colored in all the shades of politeness and friendliness. However, one bite, and the truth is revealed. They may be pleasant on the outside, but there is nothing but sour bitterness inside. The moment life chomps down on them, what is inside is no longer hidden. When pressure comes, it brings out the reality of what is at the center of who they are. It was always there; the bite of life just exposes it.

Not everyone is what they appear to be. Some of us have mastered the practice of deceptive packaging. We look good on the outside, presenting ourselves as fine upstanding people—good, God-fearing individuals. We’ll say please and thank you, open doors for folks, go to church, and be generally pleasant to others. But unfortunately, when trouble comes and life bites down on us, what we really are is quickly revealed. What is inside always comes to the surface in moments of trial and conflict.

Thunderbolts gum was defined by what was on the inside. So are our lives. What is at our center reveals the true nature of who we are. We need to make sure our hearts are right or the other stuff is nothing more than pretty packaging.

In Proverbs 4:23-27:

Above all else, guard your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it.
Keep your mouth free of perversity;
    keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
Let your eyes look straight ahead;
    fix your gaze directly before you.
Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
    and be steadfast in all your ways.
Do not turn to the right or the left;
    keep your foot from evil.

It all starts with the heart. Everything you are and do flows from it. Make sure your heart is anchored on the Lord and grounded in the truth of His word. Your heart will set the course for your life. It will guide what you say, where you go, and what you do, and determine how you respond when life inevitably bites at you. Your life may look great on the outside for a moment, but there will be a day when the truth is revealed. When life crushes down on you, it will always expose what is truly at the center. You will ultimately be known by what is in your heart. Make sure your life has more than just candy coated character.

Echo the words of David in Psalm 51:10 today: "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

Chewing Thunderbolts gum didn’t create the flavor; it only revealed what the flavor of the gum already was. Life’s bite doesn’t create our heart’s condition; it only reveals what the condition of our heart already is.

If these reflections on the heart and life’s “bites” have been meaningful to you, the thoughts behind them are also part of a devotional book that has recently been published. You can find more details on the website here.