Looking Past The Exterior

Looking past the Exterior

God does not show favoritism.

Romans 2:11

“What is that?” My aunt squealed as a tiny, scruffy bit of fluff scampered across our kitchen floor. My ten-year-old self scooped up the tiny kitten—the runt of the barn-cat litter—and snuggled her close, secretly terribly offended that my aunt could not see the beauty hidden beneath the scraggly exterior of my adorable (to me) new cat.

My childhood was spent on a farm, surrounded by pets. My dad was the public works director for our small town and was constantly dragging home some bedraggled, ragamuffin animal who needed a bowl of whole milk, some scrambled eggs, and the love of three rascally children. Our pets were almost always free and had usually been rescued by my dad as the last resort before being put down.

My mom was (and still is) a trooper—she opened her home and heart to a whole variety of scruffy pets with tiny hearts of gold. Some of our best pets were the ugliest ones—the ones that everyone else had formerly rejected as not meeting the physical requirements of pedigree and beauty. On more than one occasion, our rescued pets sparked conversation as people asked what breed our dog was (a purebred that looked nothing like the breed standards) or where on earth we found that cat.

My brothers and I learned from an early age to love a creature’s heart, not its pedigree and certainly not a beautiful exterior. It’s a lesson I’ve taken to heart, both with animals and humans.

It is so easy to judge whether someone is worth knowing, liking, or loving simply based on external factors. Yet Jesus warned us firmly that God does not show favoritism. As I move through my days, I am recommitted to seeing others through God’s eyes. Have you ever been guilty of determining someone’s worth based on the exterior?

—Julie

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

The next time you find yourself judging someone’s exterior, recommit to looking at others through Jesus’ eyes, and then find a way to get to know that person’s heart.