Beauty From Within

Beauty from Within

When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the LORD’s anointed!” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:6-7

God asked the prophet Samuel to travel to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as king. One look at the oldest son, Eliab, and Samuel was certain he had found his man. Yet God hadn’t chosen Eliab or the other five brothers who came after him. He had chosen the youngest son, David.

In the Amish community even though everyone dresses alike, there are still those with a more favorable appearance than others. In Rules for a Godly Life we read, “Do not be proud and overbearing because you have been blessed with this world’s goods, or with outstanding personality features; for God who has given can also take away, and may do so if you through pride or contempt of others make misuse of His gifts to you.”

A desire to appear beautiful to others is something we all deal with, no matter who we are. The difference is that while the Amish encourage those in their community not to be proud or overbearing, often our culture rewards those who focus on their appearance. The media urges us to lose weight, to buy a new wardrobe, or to get a makeover. When we aren’t pleased with our outward appearance, we sometimes become jealous of others. Yet these emotions taint our insides, taking away our inner beauty too. And while we can’t control our height or physical features, we can allow Jesus to do a daily makeover on our hearts.

God knows who we are on the inside, and He judges our beauty by the condition of our hearts and how well we reflect the beauty of His Son. Love, joy, thankfulness, and gratitude are a beautiful display to Him. Are there any emotions inside that you need God to “make over”? He specializes in that. Just ask Him!

Dear heavenly Father, I pray that when You look at my heart, You see the beauty that reflects the image of Your Son. Show me any envy or discontentment that needs to be worked out. May You be glorified!