Deodorant and Discipleship

The other day I caught myself laughing at something ridiculous—a deodorant commercial. Not because it was especially clever or had a good punchline, but because of how unrealistically graceful the guy looked while putting it on. You know the pose: arm raised behind the head, perfect posture, like he’s about to win an Olympic medal for personal hygiene. Meanwhile, I know full well that when I put on deodorant in the morning, I look more like a monkey doing an interpretive dance—half-asleep, hunched over, trying not to poke myself in the eye or get white streaks on my shirt.

It got me thinking about how often the way things look on the outside doesn’t really match the reality behind the scenes. We’re good at putting on polished, photo-ready versions of ourselves—whether it’s for commercials, social media, or Sunday mornings. But let’s be honest: most of life looks more like a groggy dance in front of the bathroom mirror than take number ten of a well-rehearsed commercial. And that’s okay. God isn’t impressed by our flawless poses; God is interested in what’s real.

1 Samuel 16:7 reminds us, “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” So even if you feel more like a mess than a model some days, take heart—God sees the whole, authentic, dancing-monkey version of you and loves you just the same.

May God hold you,

Rev Chris Hester