Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover

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.”

I walked into the women’s event by myself.

As I entered the venue, I was greeted by the planner, who quickly went over with me all that the morning would entail. Since there were about twenty minutes of downtime before I would have to speak, I stood quietly off to the side while women began to show up.

As they arrived, the women were smiling, engaged in conversation. And slowly, my insecurities began to come to mind. These women were very put together—with beautifully coiffed hair, and with makeup and outfits that would rival any magazine. I looked down at my scuffed boots, fighting the thought that what I was about to say wasn’t going to be good enough. I quickly said a prayer as they called me up to speak.

As I began to share, the first story I told was one of a friend being bullied when she was younger. As my throat clenched with emotion, I looked out at the crowd and was surprised by what I saw. Some of the most beautifully accessorized women had tears in their eyes, nodding as I spoke. I could tell there was a shared understanding of the hurt I was talking about.

I shouldn’t have been surprised; it’s often the most put-together people who are the first to shed a tear. It’s as if they use the external to hide their pain or insecurities. But when given the opportunity, they are the first to be open and tender.

We all face the temptation to hide who we are or the hard things we’ve gone through. As followers of Jesus, we can lead the way in sharing honestly, inviting others to do the same. It’s so easy to judge people based on their outward appearance, but I am grateful that’s not how God judges us. He sees our hearts. He knows our pain. And because of this truth, there is no need to be something we’re not or to hide from him or others.

Kendra

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Determine to look beyond outward appearances to the heart of those around you.