“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 16:7
I stopped in a barber shop the other day – my hair was touching my
ears – some part of the military me seems to still be with me. As I was waiting for my turn, I noticed a
young man getting his hair “coiffed” in the current style of the day for young
men. He paid his bill with a smile and
gratitude - $97. It was then that 1
Samuel 16:7 came to my mind. Do people
really notice a hair cut? The shape of your haircut – its presence or absence
even – a haircut should not be the foundation for a relationship with others and never will be with God. A certain
style might help you identify with a particular group of people – but that is
all superficial to what really matters in life.
We worry about what people see on the outside because we think it is a visual clue on what is on the outside. It might be clothes, hair, or maybe skin color – but, although it may give you some idea of what the person is like on the inside – it is not reliable. That is what the Lord said to Samuel when he was going to anoint King Saul’s replacement. It turned out to be David – the runt – the least likely. The one that did not have the faintest resemblance to Saul. Thinking about it, the only person that has ever commented on my haircut is my wife. I have never had someone say – “Great haircut!”, now it could be that I never have had a great haircut – but I don’t think people really notice – not really. The Barber asked if I wanted the back of my hair blocked or tapered. I told it didn’t matter, I can’t see it and no one has ever commented on it when it was one or the other. So it was the Barber’s choice. (I still have not looked)
“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately
wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even
to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.”
– Jeremiah 7:9-10
People don’t really know what anyone is really like until they express
what is in their heart through what they do and say. That was the Lord’s point.
“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth
good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.
For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” – Luke 6:45
Watching and listening brings discernment. If you watch and listen – everyone will eventually
express their heart. Everyone can portray
a good heart for a season – but it is so hard for those who do not have a good
heart to pretend for long. Eventually
the heart will reveal itself. It is not judgement I am suggesting, but looking
for the fruit that comes from the person’s heart. We can love others the way
God loves us because He first loved us and we first love God. And what does a
loving heart look like you might ask?
“Love is patient and is kind; love does not envy; love does not
parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own,
is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in
the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all
things. Love never fails.”– 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
So I said to the Barber, when she asked me how I wanted my hair cut, “You know, it is not about the hair, it is about the heart.” And then I said – “I don’t want the
hair to touch my ears and my wife said to not let you trim my eyebrows.” I
think she thought I was a just a little strange, but she obliged me.
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it –
Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His
Glory Alone
No comments:
Post a Comment