Inside, Outside, All Around—What Counts?

Pixabay

A cosmetics company announced yesterday that they would no longer be photoshopping the pictures of their models. They are going to allow the flaws to be seen. The reason? Well, someone has finally figured out how damaging the unrealistic portrayal of what constitutes “beauty” really is. Good move, but perhaps a little late to help those already programmed to believe that beauty really is “skin deep.”




I recently had some head shots done for the back cover of an upcoming book. Only one of the five that I ultimately chose would be photoshopped—the flaws and wrinkles swept away and other things enhanced. When I got the results back I discover that my eyes were bluer than they had ever been in my life—someone is going to be disappointed if they expect to see those brilliant orbs for real! Looks good—but doesn't exist.

Samuel ran into the same problem—and the Lord reminded him of something that the “beauty experts” of our age are just figuring out now—beauty is more than surface. True beauty goes right to the heart.

The prophet, seer, and spiritual leader of God’s people was charged with choosing a new king. Saul had, as predicted, turned out to be a dud and now God was ready to reveal His choice of the one who would represent Him as king of the nation. Samuel was sent to the house of Jesse and when he announced his purpose for coming, Jesse paraded his sons before the seer of Israel. They were a handsome, strong, and capable-looking lot and Samuel was sure that one of those who stood before him would make the cut.

Then God said: “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.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Seven men stood before Samuel, and not a single one of them was God’s choice. When Samuel asked if there was anyone else in Jesse’s household that wasn’t in the lineup, Jesse indicated that his youngest was out in the fields watching the sheep. Jesse had not even considered him as a candidate, but at Samuel’s request brought the young man in to stand before the seer.

Yes, David was a good-looking young man (vs. 12), but what counted was his heart. And God said: “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.”

To say that we don’t judge based on what we see would be hypocritical—we do! James addresses favoritism directly in James 2 and reminds his readers of their need to “Love your neighbour as yourself” no matter what that neighbour looks like (vs. 8).

Who knows how many people are doing everything in their power to model themselves after those who look “beautiful” in the world’s eyes at the cost of their health and physical and emotional well-being? And how many of them know that they are pursuing an ideal that is not ideal at all, to the neglect of what really counts—the inside?

And do we model Jesus so that others will know what really counts to God?