Judge Not the Outward Appearance

1 Samuel 16:7 "But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as a man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."

In today's world it feels like every action you make is being closely monitored. People pay attention to what you say, how you look, what your education level is, how you treat those around you, what you eat, etc. It is just part of the natural man to have a judgmental tendency. In fact, some judgments are vital and important for safety and awareness. I want to share a quote that I read about. I apologize because I do not know the author.

"If you think about it, nobody can really know you as well as you know yourself. Nobody knows every single thought that runs through your head. Nobody can see things exactly the same as you do. It's just impossible for someone to know you the way you know yourself."

"Well, I guess I never really thought about it like that. But you don't completely know yourself either. You don't know how you look when you're smiling in a moment of bliss, because you can't see yourself. You might see a photo, but it's not the same as the real thing."

"But that's just an appearance."

"It's an appearance that shows an emotion, and that's a part of you. In my opinion, nobody can truly know you, and you can never truly know yourself."

I love this quote because it is true, but not entirely true at the same time. We don't know ourselves completely and neither do others. BUT the Lord does. He sees it all. He knows out outward appearance and our inward appearance. In fact, he knows us better than we know ourselves.

Have you ever gone through a really hard time in your life and you said, "I can't do this. It is too big of a task for me to climb!" Then after you get through it and look back, you realize that everything that happened was exactly what you needed to teach or help you? I have and I know that it was the Lord's doing. He puts us through things because He knows we can do it. He knows how capable we are and He knows exactly where, when, and how to get us to the right places.

Just remember that not everything you see is the facts. People hide and hurt more than they let on. As a human race, it is our job to stay free from judgement and love everyone. Regardless if others judge you, be the better person and never place unjust judgement on others. Leave that in the Lord's hands.

#impactfullearnings #stayfreefromjudgement #oneisnotaboveanother