1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

This is a justly famous verse, and it has rightly been echoed by speakers and writers down through the centuries. In recent history, M. L. King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech is notable. In my childhood, my family read The Ugly American around the dinner table. The principle is extremely valid, but we still tend to judge people by how they look. There were good-looking “good guys” in the Bible, but in general, appearance is irrelevant. It is significant that we have no physical description of Jesus. It is a little amusing that tradition tells us Paul was short and bald. All of that is to say that we need to ask God to let us see people with His eyes. For that matter, many people obsess over their own physical appearance. How silly is that? We are certainly to seek to be presentable, dressing appropriately for the occasion and having good hygiene, but other than that, it should be no big deal. After all, our appearance changes over the years in any case, so we can’t fixate on one “look.” Pictures of me from 50 years ago look very different from how I am now, though I am still recognizable. Some people frankly aren’t recognizable after a few dozen years.

This hits me personally in two ways. In the first place, growing up in Japan as a Caucasian, I have always been categorized and judged for my appearance. That in itself was powerful reinforcement for the truth in this verse. In the second place, I have always thought my wife was physically attractive, but what convinced me she was the woman I was to spend my life with was, initially, 2½ hours of talking, in which I discovered that here was a woman with whom my soul meshed. I certainly didn’t reject her appearance, but that wasn’t what drew me to her so strongly. Given our current ages, I think the years have been fairly kind to us, but it is not our appearance by which people judge us now. We are always to let Jesus shine through us, and that has nothing to do with hair or skin!

Father, thank You for this reminder. May I be as committed to You as David was, and more faithful. May I likewise see those around me as You see them, flawed but precious, worth dying for. May I express Your heart toward them in word and action, so that they may be drawn to repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!