How much does appearance matter?

1 Samuel 16:7“People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Proverbs 31:30Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.

Romans 8:10Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.

Ephesians 5:9This light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

James 1:23If you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.

1 Peter 3:3-4Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.

Appearance matters, but we must be sure that we are focusing on the right things. The body, face, and clothes reflect a person’s outward shell, which is in a constant process of aging and decay. Someone’s soul and character, however, reflect his or her inner being, which is ageless and eternal and reveals the real person. Remembering that we are in the presence of God allows us to reflect his beauty. Nothing is wrong with paying attention to our physical appearance, but we should not do this to the neglect of our spiritual appearance. We are often distracted by our own appearance or the appearances of others (looking for friends among those who seem most impressive to us). But what an impact we can have on others when they miss what’s on our outside because they can’t take their eyes off what’s on the inside—God himself shining through us.