How Do I Look?

Okay so if you were like me you ate way too much over the Thanksgiving break. Don’t get me wrong I was super glad to have a home cooked meal three times a day but I feel like I gain ten pounds if not more because of it. This brings me to my thought for today; outward appearances. I got to thinking about how we as humans put so much value on how we look but if you look at the bible how often does God talk about someone’s appearance? In fact He tells one of his priests that he looks at the heart not the outward appearance. (1 Samuel 16:7) I know that I have personally dealt with low self esteem for a lot of my life. It has been hard for me to see the beauty that God has blessed me with because I tend to get stuck on the outward appearance before I can ever make it to the inside.
Another thing that goes along with this is stereotypes. It is so easy for us to take one look at someone and be quick to label them into some stereotype we have created. However, how often do we actually get to know the person we have so effortlessly labeled? We can judge looks so easily but do not want to take the time to get to know the heart. Brandon Heath sings a song called “Give Me Your Eyes.” In this song he is asking God to give him his eyes so that he can see people the way that God sees people. To look past their appearance and see what is lying within. To see their needs, their wants, their hurts, and to want to help them instead of label them. Perhaps then we could help them see past their outward appearance and see how truly beautiful they really are. That God made them in his image and that their heart is what he pursues unlike the world that pursue our looks. So if you feel like you are not skinny enough, you are not tall enough or too tall, that your hair is not the right color, or that your clothes are no longer in style remember that none of that matters to God but that it is the conditions of your heart. So the next time you meet a new person get to know their heart instead of quickly labeling them with a stereotype.