Looking At The Heart

Today I started a new Beth Moore study called, "David, 90 Days With a Heart Like His". The passage that stood out to me today was 1 Samuel 16:7, "But the Lord said to Samuel "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." I must admit, I often judge by the outward appearance. Even though I know and believe with my whole heart this is wrong, I find myself forming opinions by the appearance of others.

In this study I was encouraged to think of when I have felt intimidated, less than someone else. Haven't we all had these feelings? Isn't it because we tend to size others up and view them by the standards the world has set upon us? The world says women should all strive to keep looking young. We should fight those wrinkles, Only young and attractive people are desirable. Men are encouraged to keep their hair, have muscles, drive nice vehicles. The requirements go on and on.

But God does not look at the things men look at....the Lord looks at the heart. So isn't that how we should learn to look at others too? This brought to mind my daughter Kristin. It always bothered me that throughout her short 10 1/2 years of life, she was treated differently because of being judged by her outward appearance. She was different than "normal" children. She was puffy, her mouth hung open, her teeth were odd shaped and miscolored. She had a tracheotomy and often had secretions spewing from it. She couldn't hold her head up by herself - she didn't have much tracking motion with her eyes and she couldn't respond to activities normally at all. I will never forget something one of the nurses said to us when Kristin was still in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit. We had inquired about something and she didn't know the answer to. She went on to explain that she wasn't that familiar with Kristin because she usually took care of certain other babies. But that day some other nurses had arrived before her and were able to "choose" who they wanted to care for and she got who was left. I don't think she really realized all that she revealed to us in the statement, but it cut deep and still hurts today.

I was thinking about that today and realized that is just one more lesson God allowed me to learn thru Kristin's precious life. Then it made me realize that maybe I didn't learn it very well after all. I realized I'm much too worried about what others think and that must come from how I judge others.

Lord, forgive me for looking at outward appearances and judging by the world's standards. Help me to see thru your eyes and to reach out in love. Let my heart reflect that of Jesus. May others feel accepted and welcomed because of how I respond to and treat them. May I have a heart like David, that is chasing after you. Thru Jesus I pray, Amen