“So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him!” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:6 & 7
In college I took a scuba diving class. Each week we prepared for the day we would get the opportunity to dive into the depths of the open water. The instructor told us stories that painted a picture of beauty I could not even fathom in my mind! As the day approached I anticipated the moment I would plunge into the water and see those images of beauty for myself! When the day finally came and we boarded the boat I had butterflies in my stomach! This was a day I had dreamt about and I couldn’t believe it was finally here!
As we made our way out into the open water I began to see a dark substance on the surface. The once clear water had become murky in appearance but I didn’t know why. As the instructor turned off the motor, he turned to us and said, “Here we are. The moment you have been waiting for has arrived!” When I looked over the edge of the boat all I could see was floating kelp. “Surely this couldn’t be the dive sight,” I thought. But the instructor then confirmed that it was and told us to get prepared.
The instructor then told us that this was kelp and that it had long strands that went below the surface of the water. But then he said not to worry because just below the kelp was a world of beauty to behold! At first I was skeptical but I finally decided to trust the instructor’s words and I got out of the boat. As I made my way down past the kelp I was blown away by what my eyes saw! The instructor was right! I never could have imagined that below that kelp was the most beautiful images of God’s creation I had ever seen, but it was! That experience is one I will never forget and I can’t wait until I get to do it again one day! I am so glad I trusted the instructor’s words because if I hadn’t, I would have missed out on one of my life’s most enjoyable moments!
I often think of that experience when I look at people and begin to cast judgments based on what I see or hear. At first glance I only see them on the surface, like I did when I first looked over the side of the boat, and saw the kelp. Even after spending time with them I may continue to view them from the surface because their “strands” go deep under the surface of their skin. They may be superficial and haughty, or they may be overtly angry or bitter. They may have experienced great pains in life which have caused deep scars in their soul, or they may be overly confident and shallow.
I constantly have to remind myself that I can only see a partial image, based on my limited sight and understanding. God on the other hand, is like my scuba instructor. He sees way below the surface into a man’s heart! As in Samuel’s case in 1 Samuel 16:6 & 7 God wants us to remember this truth and to seek Him for understanding when we begin to evaluate people by what we see or hear. If like Samuel, we allow God to reveal the truth about a person, we will gain a clear vision of them. This is called Godly discernment.
God has given us the Holy Spirit to teach us how to be discerning. If we are willing to be taught, we will gain wisdom based on truth about a person, not judgment caused by poor vision. We will also begin to see the true inner beauty that lies far beneath the surface of a man’s skin. In the case of a person who is putting up a front, God will direct us into truth just like He did for Samuel when we seek wisdom and discernment.
In both cases discernment will keep us from judging people by their outward appearance or actions. As we practice this way of approaching people we can begin to pray that others see us in the same way. We are not perfect, and want grace extended to us when we act out in our flesh, or allow our strands of humanness to be seen by others.
Spend time asking God to open the eyes of your understanding so you can see people with His eyes. Spend time in the Word and prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to teach you how to be discerning. Constantly remind yourself that only God can see into the heart of man, and it is not our place to judge by what we see on the outside.
Prayer: I praise you for looking beyond the surface of my life and for seeing my heart. Help me to do the same for others. Blind me to the surface details of their appearance so I can peer beneath the surface of their soul, and see their true identity and beauty. If they need to know you, let my words and actions lead them to you. If they already know you, let my words and actions remind them of their true identity in You. Amen
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