But the Lord said to 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
The other day I had one to those funny experiences where someone meets you and their treatment of you is clear: they have found you…lacking.
It wasn’t anything I said or did, it was just that on their end, I didn’t meet some standard for value. I actually didn’t really mind.
It has taken many years of putting the gospel deep in my heart, but I know my infinite value in God’s eyes. When other people don’t see it, it no longer matters much. I actually find it kind of funny.
A few days later we ran into each other again and I was with someone they knew, respected, and liked. This very different interaction proved they saw me in a different light, and treated me with new regard.
I was the same person, but they treated me differently. And I thought of the verse above in 1 Samuel.
Then I thought of a day that I lost a card game.
I lost that particular game of Hearts because someone gave me bad information, and I was pretty sure they had, in fact, lied to me.
I was mad (I can be competitive), and thought of how you reap what you sow, and the thought of God’s vengeance (I can also be dramatic) on this enemy of mine popped into my head.
Then God clearly, suddenly, in a moment swiftly told me to back off of His child.
In an instant, I knew: this God of mine means business when it comes to loving His children, even when they have done the wrong thing.
He doesn’t see what I see.
I saw someone who cheats at cards and lies about it later. He looked and saw His child, a bit messy, but loved. Messes can be cleaned up, and forgiveness comes in an instant.
My card game opponents saw a sore loser in me. But God looked at me and saw His child full of anger. Anger can be calmed with a quick word of reproof, and then life goes on.
That person I met saw a simple mom of four. God looked and saw His daughter, who may not look like she’s got it all together, but together is a relative term. A daughter’s value is not in her appearance.
I saw a person who eyed me carefully and then dismissed me. God saw His child, who needs to be loved by a person who refuses to be dismissed. Handled with grace, this relationship may become a lifelong friendship.
People are valuable. We are precious to God. His inheritance lies in our very breath, and in the sound of the repentant sound of our cries for mercy.
It is a pity that we see only what is in the outside of a person, and then file them away into some kind of mental category.
God’s eyes see all things, all hearts, all motives, all wounds, all needs, all joys, all pains. He sees our yesterdays and our tomorrows. God sees what we were, what we are becoming, and what we will one day be when we meet Him in heaven.
And He loves us.
What more proof do we need of value for ourselves or others than the love and acceptance of a mighty God?
“We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” -1 John 4:19-21
Some of us need to back off of God’s beloved children, and pray He helps our hearts see things differently….
