When I look out there in the world I admit that those taken to be influential are those that look the part. Those that are beautiful/handsome, tall, athletic, well dressed, as well as financially well off. We as a society look at them with wonder and frankly, envy.
“7But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.’” – 1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV)
I know and am reminded here that the LORD is not in the same sphere of vision as I am. Whereas I am looking immediately at the outward appearance of someone to determine their influence and “power”, God looks immediately at the heart.
Oh what a difference there would be in society if that were the norm. Think of the story lines out there and the characters in those story lines. The beast from “Beauty and the Beast”, Quasimodo, and Frankenstein’s Monster, Stuart the mouse from the movie, the other characters were not exactly flocking to them to follow their leadership. They were less than desirable in societal terms, but in the end, they proved to be bigger than life, thanks to their heart. It was the inward parts that made all the difference.
In my life, I have to remember to look at the heart of the individual as opposed to the outward appearance, either physical or immediately visual. I have to look to the motives and the actions of the person to determine their inner workings. I have to be cued into more than that which is on the outside.
I have to be careful not to reject the outward based on what I see, I just have to be more cued into what it is on the inside to determine the goodness of the individual. After all, even as David was small and young in stature, he was also described as having beautiful eyes and was handsome. It was however his inward self that God looked on when David was anointed.
When you look into society, what are you looking for in those that you consider influential? Are you searching for those that look the part? What if we were to look closer at the inward parts as the LORD does as opposed to the outward parts we do today?
Trevor's Thoughts 