Avoid the Allure of Appearance

A stunning sunset or sunrise will often capture our eye and draw us in.  There is a such strong appeal to beauty by our natural senses.  But there is a hidden danger in the allure of appearance if we are not careful. See if you can finish these well-known sayings:

• Don’t judge a book by…
• All that glitters isn’t …
• Beauty is only….
• Man looks at the outward appearance…   while God looks at the heart – 1 Samuel 16:7 

All of the above have to do with not being fooled by the outer appearance of someone or something. And in God’s economy, strong looks and beauty are not the measuring sticks of a person, but rather the unseen heart of faith.  Matthew Henry says it rightly, “We can tell how men look, but God can tell what they are.”

Beneath the surface

Confession. I’ve been that person. I’ve looked at people and drawn conclusions about them by what I have initially seen. Whether it’s the very young, the beautiful, the wealthy or the homeless, I’ve made assumptions that have been flat out wrong. Why? Because my eyes were on their appearance, and I didn’t take time to know something of their heart.

In 1 Samuel 16:7, the prophet Samuel gets a good lesson on being fooled by appearance when he’s tasked to select a new king for Israel.  In the process, he is certain Eliab is God’s choice for king.  His good looks and stature made Samuel believe that he was Israel’s next leader.  But the Lord said otherwise.  Eliab, to Samuel’s surprise, along with all of David’s older brothers, are each found unqualified.

The Lord instead has Samuel choose David-looking past his young age and stature–because here now is a man of faith whose heart is for God and His glory.  

So how do we avoid getting fooled by appearances?

1. We spend time with people. We ask questions. We ask how we can pray for them. (You learn a lot from someone’s prayer request) Take a moment to think about a person that you have already labeled as incompatible or unqualified. Have you really taken the time to get to know them? Now’s a good time to pray about that.  The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. Proverbs 20:5

2. Know that God alone is Judge. We can sometimes write off someone because we think we know their heart motives.

• “It’s a scam.  The homeless person isn’t really homeless.”
• “She has no intention of being my friend.  She never talks to me.”
• “She was nice only because she felt obligated.”

Only God knows the true intentions of a person’s heart. Only He can see into one’s heart. It’s possible to do something good but with a bad motive. And it’s possible not do something well, but still be genuine in heart and effort. Only God knows one’s motive. So leave that to Him.  To do otherwise would be sin. “God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” Romans 2:16

So don’t be fooled by appearances beloved. Pray. Make certain you haven’t disregarded someone that God has brought in your life for the purpose of shaping and blessing you, and vice versa.  Let’s love people by taking the time to get to know them and looking past the allure of appearances.