Like I wrote in last week’s Wednesday Devotional, Beauty Isn’t Everything. A person’s appearance doesn’t display what’s in their heart! Someone can have the most beautiful body, but the ugliest attitude. Another person might dress like a slob, but have the most amazing personality.
1 Samuel 16:7 says, “But 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 at the heart.'”
In today’s world, we often lift up the most masculine man or the most beautiful woman, but God is telling us these things are meaningless to him. We idolize the strongest, toughest, fastest men there are, but if their heart is not pure, God will reject them. Women look at other women, who have the skinniest, tallest, most tone bodies and strive to look like them, but God does not see us the way we view each other. Self-image consumes men and women of our age.
But God only thinks about our inner beauty! Thank you, Lord! He doesn’t worry about what we look like on the outside; He only cares about whats in our hearts!
Outward appearance will not predict whether or not one will obey the Lord, but the actions from his heart are the only true measures of his obedience to God.
It is natural for us to judge people outwardly, but we need not be so quick to judge them in this flesh.
This week, try to stop judging people so harshly by what we can merely see of them on the outside. Begin to look into their heart before putting them on a platform or pushing them off a cliff. God is the only judge of the heart, so let’s begin to view others as God would view them.
God, thank you for looking at my heart instead of my outward appearance. Forgive me for judging people based on superficial standards. Help me begin to look inward to people’s hearts instead of merely at their outward appearance. Help me to notice the good works you have placed in them and help me to be encouraging. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Loved the post! I feel like this isn’t being said enough. Loved how you wrote this! Please check out my latest post if you get the chance, it’d mean a lot! Xx
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Thanks so much for your sweet words! It means so much to me! Thanks for reading!
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Great reminder! We all need to remember that everyone, including ourselves, struggles with something. When we see people the way God does then we are able to extend more grace and mercy. Lovely words!
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Thank you so much for sharing!
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So well written and such a great and also important reminder! Everyone has their struggles and because we can never know what’s going on in one’s life we should never judge from just the outside appearance!
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Well written. Don’t judge a book by its cover is so much more relevant today.
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Than you so much for reading!
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Love this post, so true!!
xx
cheryl
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I wish more people realized this. To me inner beauty is so much more radiant than outer beauty. Looks fade, bodies change, but a good person will always be a good person 🙂
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Thank you so much, and you are so right!
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Good reminders. Thank you.
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Thank you so much for stopping by!
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Everyone tends to make snap judgements on outward appearance. Sad.
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Yes, are so right! It is so sad!
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What a great reminder for us all! Love this!
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Totally agree! I always try to not judge people.
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That is so good! What do you do to help, when it sometimes seems so natural to judge someone else?
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Even from a non-religious view point this is a very important message for everyone to remember! Thanks!
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yes, you are so right! thank you so much for sharing!
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Great message
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Thank you!
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Everyone is Beautiful! 🙂
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Yes! Thank you for reading!
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Such a good reminder to focus less on the superficial!
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Yes! Thank you!
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Absolutely hit it on this one! Love your prayer at the end!
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Thank you so much! So sweet of you! Thanks for stopping by!
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More need to hear these words, this reminder. I try so hard and I know I’m not perfect but it’s so comforting to know there are others that try hard to love as god would want us to.
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Thanks so much for sharing!
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This is a beautiful reminder of inner beauty and the Lords’ presence withing all of us. xo
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Thanks for your sweet words and for reading!
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It’s a person’s instinct to look at the physical features first. We are attracted to beautiful creatures and I think there’s nothing wrong with that. Admiring someone’s beauty is normal. But I guess, what people failed to see is that there is so much than what meets the eye. Beauty that can’t be seen by the naked eye is much more of high value.
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This is so true!
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Some great reminders, thanks!
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Thanks for stopping by and for the feedback!
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Thanks for the reminder! It can be SO easy to judge people based on how they look. I know I subconsciously do it all the time.
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Yes, definitely don’t judge a book by its cover. Great article!
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Like I wrote in last week’s Wednesday Devotional, Beauty Isn’t Everything. A person’s appearance doesn’t display what’s in their heart! I LOVE this!! and so very true
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Thank you so much!
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What a great reminder, thank you! We often forget how important is not to judge people before we get to know them, it seems like these days everything falls on looks.
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Thanks for the comment!
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This touches dear to my heart! We try and remind our kids this as often as possible!
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Thank you so much for your feedback and for stopping by to read!
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This is so on point! I do struggle with at times basing my opinions about others based on what they project without giving them the time to really get to know them. It is a sick habit of our society and one as a Christian I must learn to abstain from.
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Thanks for reading!
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Very inspirational. This is a good post for meditation and reflection.
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Thank you. I hope the Scripture really spoke to you!
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Beautiful post and scripture. Thank you so much for sharing
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Thank you so much for reading!
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It’s a good reminder, that’s for sure!
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Thanks so much!
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Amen, and God bless 🙂
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 13:12
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Thank you so much for your words of encouragement!
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Really happy I read your post. It’s always nice to be reminded about what truly matters.
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Thank you so much! I am so happy you stopped by to read it too!
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Is so magnificent that eventhough when we don’t have a pure heart the Lord still loves us. He wants is to seek him and be purified. That is the amazingness of the Atonement.
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Yes! So thankful that He forgives us and is so graceful even in the midst of our wrong doing! Thanks for sharing!
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Really happy I read your post today. It’s always nice to get reminded about what truly matters.
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Thank you for reading!
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I love that you are encouraging love and acceptance instead of judging.
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