The Thick Skin of the Beloved

When someone has “thick skin,” they don’t get offended by criticism. If we live our lives around God’s love for us and live in that space, we develop a thick skin that enables us to do better and succeed. There’s this great guy who paints my house. He’s got an awesome truck covered in all sorts of rock and roll bumper stickers. He has long hair and tattoos and my son thinks he’s a pirate! As soon as he enters our house, he says, “What’s up, Pastor Bobby?” The last time he was at our house, I asked him, “How are you?” and I shook his hand. It was as if I had grasped a baseball glove that was wrapped in sandpaper; in other words, he had thick skin.

I thought to myself, how do you get hands like that? And the answer is it comes from doing something. It comes from using your hands. It comes from experience. Having thick skin is such a gift, whether it is within your spirit or your mind. You are able to use this as a shield, like when you’re asking for a raise, trying to make a sale, or asking a girl for her phone number. It can also help you stand out.

Friend, in the same way that my painter has thick skin on his hands from painting, you get thick skin on your soul by doing. You get thick skin on your soul by doing the work of scary and uncomfortable things. This can include upholding the principles of Jesus by walking in love, compassion, and service to others.