Looking Beyond Perfection

Looking beyond Perfection

The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.

When I first met my friend Samantha, I was a little jealous. While I sometimes felt like I was floundering in life in general and motherhood in particular, she seemed to have it all together. Our second children were born just a few weeks apart, and I can still recall how she showed up at my door with a meal for our family—her hair done, dressed in a cute outfit and boots, looking bright-eyed and ready for adventure, even while her own toddler and infant were waiting in the idling car. Meanwhile, I was in hastily donned stretchy pants, my unwashed hair hanging in my face, while my newborn hollered prodigiously in the background.

What made it all worse was that my friend was so—well, nice. In fact, she was one of the absolute nicest people I’d ever met, always ready to lend a hand or a listening ear. I appreciated her friendship, but deep inside I held some misgivings—if she hadn’t been so darn nice, that teeny-tiny part of me would have disliked her, just a little.

While I knew objectively that my friend wasn’t perfect, I still felt intimidated by her—until one day, to my surprise, she got up in front of a large crowd and told the story of how she had battled anorexia in her youth. Sitting in the crowd, I wept unashamedly as I listened to my beautiful friend reveal her “imperfections,” the hard-won battle she’d fought to emerge healthy and whole.

Isn’t it funny how what we see as weaknesses are instead reminders of the strength and mercy of our God? In 1 Samuel, the Lord tells Samuel that while people judge by outward appearance, the Lord looks at the heart. It can be all too easy to judge others based on their outward appearance—but God reminds us throughout Scripture that it’s our heart that truly reveals who we are. If I had continued to judge my friend based only on her seeming perfection rather than the radiant heart inside of her, I may have missed out on a deeper relationship with someone who has become one of my closest friends.

— Kristin

— Today’s Act of Friendship —

Make a list of people you’ve judged solely based on their outward appearance. Pray for God to forgive you for the judgments you’ve made and to help you see the true hearts of others.