I'm writing this on a spring-like morning in New Zealand's wintry weather. In my spare time this week, I watched a YouTube video summarizing the long-running drama “Itaewon Class.” There was a particularly memorable line that got me thinking. An actress says “A child grows up looking at his parents' backs,” meaning that he will eventually resemble them.

I love and honor my physical father, who is now in the arms of the Lord. I love and honor my late, physical father in the Lord because of the clear message I saw in his life. In my past life and present life, it is the front of a person that matters because it is the person's first impression. So you try to make a good impression by taking good care of your body and mind.

But there is something even more important. It's what you look like afterward because that's what will leave a lasting impression. First impressions are remembered while you're alive, but lasting impressions are remembered and remembered long after you're gone. So while we pay attention to the first impression in our daily lives, it's the last impression that we put more heart and thought into. The people I personally admire have great and beautiful backsides.

With that in mind, I've been looking at some of the things I see in everyday life. It seems that in every race to the front, the real winner is the one who shows the back. I've also realized that when I wonder what someone looks like from the front, and I wonder what they look like from the left and right, I lose focus. I remember the back of my father's head, the way he kept his faith until the day he died. And I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul, who, at the end of his life, at the end of his run, stood firm in his faith.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)

Back to the drama “Itaewon Class. One of the actors puts profit before his eyes and keeps his convictions to show his children the right side of the law. Others dare to show their vulnerability and turn away from fault and sin. From the perspective of a healthy self-image, I wish that first impressions are okay. But maybe it's just wishful thinking, but I hope that the second impression is good and lasting. Since I can't see the back of my head, I'm going to focus on the road I've been given today to fight the good fight. Just like Paul's hindsight.