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It can’t be helped that we humans get carried away with how we look to others, the whole world seems to base its standards by that premise. Just turning up for a job interview, appearance accounts for, 60 percent of whether you’ll get the job or not. The beauty standards, now determined by social media feeds, it’s no coincidence all the beautiful people float to the top and gain the most likes.
People make snap judgments, (and longer lasting ones) about us, according to how we look and we make them right back.
But the Lords standards are very different to ours, It’s not what a person presents on the outside that God is interested in, unlike us he doesn’t asses people on the strength of their beauty, dress sense, height, popularity, social standing, personality, or any other outward presentation, he looks straight at the heart. The part of us no one else sees
“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
What kind of heart does God look for? He loves a heart that;
- Pursues righteousness: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Mat 5:8
- A heart that loves him: “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice.”
- A heart that trusts him: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” Proverbs 3:5
- A heart that is remorseful: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart” Ps 51:17
- A heart that is pliable: “Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness” Hebrews
- A heart that is loyal: “Not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.” Eph 6:6
- A heart that shows Forgiveness: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Eph 4:32
The qualities and characteristics God desires are deeply rooted in our hearts and is certainly not enamored by our looks or any other outward features we count as valuable.
David was prove of this, in Samuel 15:26-31, a new king was to be sought after Saul’s disastrous reign characterised by jealousy and rebellion, his kingship was to be torn from him and is progeny and given to another. A king approved by the people for his good looks, I might add could only end in disappointment.
God sends Samuel the prophet to seek out a new king, when he arrives, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Sam 16:6-8
After David is called from the field, God identifies him the youngest of Jesse’s sons, David a shepherd boy and poet, as the next king. God testifies saying, “I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do’ Acts
God was saying, this a person who is totally aligned with me and cares about the things I care about
If you were to asses your heart now what would you find and what would God say of you?