The other day I was teasing a male colleague about the look of his lunch bag. The bag featured striped pastel colors with what appeared to be daisies around the edges.
As we walked into the lunch room I said, “Dude, you’re gonna need to get a more masculine-looking bag before someone beats you up.” Without missing a beat, he simply revealed to me the contents of his lunch: fresh homemade bread and chicken noodle soup. (I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a few carrot sticks). Now it was his turn to tease me . . .
This reminds me of a kingdom of God reality: It’s what’s on the inside that counts the most.
Our natural bent is to think just the opposite. We tend to put more emphasis on appearances—height, weight, hair color, body build, age, the clothes we wear or the cars we drive. You name it.
The Old Testament prophet Samuel made the same mistake when God sent him to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as King Saul’s replacement (1 Samuel 16:1). As soon as Samuel spotted Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab, he thought for sure that he was destined to be Israel’s next king (1 Samuel 16:6). But God corrected Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
Eventually God told Samuel to anoint Jesse’s youngest son, David, as king. Though David didn’t look the part, God had His eye on his heart. And that’s what counted most.
As Samuel came to understand, the Creator of heaven and earth measures the importance of a person by what’s on the inside. Let’s remember that as we live our lives for God and minister to others.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Joshua 2:1-24
More:
Later in David’s life, after falling into sin, he penned Psalm 51:10. Consider what it says about the importance of what’s inside.
Next:
Where do you tend to put too much focus on the externals? How can you focus more on the heart of the matter?
Wayne on February 28, 2014 at 5:42 am
We should be like God and look on the inside
Not the outside of a person or ourselves.
Take the time needed . Wayne
Gary Shultz on February 28, 2014 at 7:48 am
Good point taken; however, when we can I think we should put our best bag forward.
Gene on February 28, 2014 at 8:04 am
Great topic, Jeff. I think this applies to how we view others and ourselves. God looks at our heart and we need have confidence we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14.
Jeff Olson on February 28, 2014 at 12:54 pm
“fearfully and wonderfully made”…good thought…and yes putting our best “bag” forward is important too…I do however prefer a camo colored “bag” 🙂
Winn Collier on March 4, 2014 at 8:42 am
So, did you beat him up and take his bread and soup? : )