Easily Deceived by Outward Appearances

We’re a society obsessed by outward appearances. When planning to go to a special event, many people agonize over what to wear and how they’ll look. On home improvement shows, the first thing prospective buyers consider is “curb appeal.” And those ‘reality’ romance shows? Only for the beautiful or handsome. Our eyes are attracted to whatever shiny, glitzy thing comes along. 

But have you ever discovered how outward appearances can deceive? For instance, that person who catches everyone’s attention when he or she walks into a room, but if you get a chance to talk with them beyond a casual ‘hello,’ you discover they’re either filled with ego or have the IQ of a mushroom. Beware of flashy ‘diamonds’ that turn out to be synthetic.

 

Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to get acquainted with people who could command a speaking platform with their wit and eloquence. However, sometimes what you see isn’t what you get if you have a chance to talk with them one-to-one. Stage presence doesn’t always translate into personal substance.

 

Other times I’ve met people who at first didn’t seem outwardly impressive, but they possessed inner qualities that drew me to them like a magnet. They serve as reminders not to judge people solely upon externals. As God told the prophet Samuel, “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).

 

Among the endearing realities of the Bible is its candor, revealing people as they truly were. Repeatedly we find examples of folks in the Bible whose outward appearance didn’t align with the kinds of people they were on the inside.

 

Recently, while using a one-year Bible that takes the reader through the Scriptures in a calendar year, with both Old and New Testament readings, I came across two examples of how we can be deceived by outward appearances. The first was King Saul.

 

Reading in 1 Samuel, we find the people of Israel had tired of being led by prophetic judges. "Give us a king to lead us…. We want a king over us,” they declared to the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 8:6,19). After all, the Israelites reasoned, other nations all had kings. Why shouldn’t they? So, God told Samuel to anoint a fellow named Saul, “an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites – a head taller than any of the others” (1 Samuel 9:2). He seemed outstanding – in the most literal sense.

 

Saul had passed the ‘look test,’ and initially seemed to be a humble individual. When the time came to announce the first king of Israel, we’re told he had “hidden himself among the baggage” (1 Samuel 10:22). But soon the Israelites would learn the truth of the adage, “Be careful what you ask for.”

 

His reign was all downhill from there. He repeatedly ignored God’s commands given through Samuel, and when caught in his sinful disobedience, Saul was quick to cast aside fault, blaming instead the soldiers and people he was chosen to lead. He served as king of Israel for 42 years, but it was a tenure fraught with conflict, jealousy, terrible decision-making, and murder.

 

We find a very striking contrast to Saul in the gospel of John. It’s an unlikely woman Jesus Christ encountered at a well outside the Samaritan city of Sychar. Having been married five times and living with a man who was not her husband, this woman was the face of scandal. To avoid accusatory looks, she would go to the well in the midday heat, knowing no other women would be there.

 

Topping it off, Samaritans were universally despised by Jews. And yet, Jesus – a Jew – chose to honor this disreputable woman with a compassionate conversation that had a surprising outcome, recorded in John 4:4-42. 

 

As she approached the well, bearing the weight not only of her water jars but also her forlorn history, Jesus asked, “Will you give Me a drink?” Looking up at the person speaking to her, she probably thought the Samaritan equivalent of ‘Say what?!’ “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” she responded, perhaps thinking this individual had forgotten the day’s cultural norms.

 

Jesus countered with a statement that caught her attention: “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” I suspect hearing about “living water” would have gotten our attention as well.

 

As their interaction unfolded, Jesus revealed He was not only a prophet but in fact the promised Messiah – to her utter amazement. Excitedly, she forgot all about getting water from the well and turned into an unwitting evangelist, rushing to tell the townspeople about the person she had just met: “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”

 

The upshot of this story is that many people in Sychar became believers in Christ, some through the woman’s testimony and others after talking with Him directly, curious because of what she had said. 

 

Isn’t it interesting how an outwardly impressive man who became king could turn out to be such an adject failure, while a woman who’d lived such a sorrowful life could be used by God for such a life-changing impact on many people in her community?

 

What a powerful reminder not to limit ourselves to the first impressions people make on us. It’s also encouraging to know that even if we’ve never been the center of attention or voted most likely to succeed, the Lord can still accomplish great things through us.

Too Much Emphasis on Outward Appearances?

Have you ever considered how much time, energy – and money – we expend working on and worrying about outward appearances?  

The global beauty and personal care industry generated more than $640 billion in 2024 and is projected to exceed more than $675 billion this year! That is a lot of makeup, mascara, eye shadow, lipstick, hair color, shampoo, conditioner and other products. For some, it’s just an effort to enhance natural attributes. But for others, it’s more like trying to make the proverbial silk purse out of a sow’s ear.

 

Digital photography and specialized software now make it possible to delete flaws and blemishes from photos. Don’t like those freckles or that beauty mark, scar or wrinkle? No problem. With a few clicks or swipes, we can make them disappear from the photographs. (But they’ll still be on your real person.)

 

We have red carpets where the famous and infamous parade wearing costly gowns and tuxedos; A-list folks trying to look better than their fellow celebrities. And even though their popularity has waned, beauty contests are still being staged, ranging from Little Miss Podunk to Miss America and Miss Universe. Even though we’re told, ‘Beauty is only skin deep.’ 

 

Each of these, along with many other pursuits, are strategically geared toward our fascination with outward appearances: Seeking to impress people with how we look externally.

 

But just as we can’t always judge a book by its cover, what we see of someone on the outside isn’t always what we’d find on the inside – if we ever get close enough to get better acquainted.

 

As a journalist, including serving as editor of newspapers and a magazine for more than 27 years, I interviewed hundreds of famous people, folks you’d immediately recognize by name. In many cases, even as a professional, I couldn’t wait to meet them and get to know what they were really like.

 

Some proved to be an absolute delight, the ‘what you see is what you get’ kind of individuals. Others, however, not so much. There were some who, from the introductory handshake, had an air of “How nice it is for you to meet me.” Ever encounter people like that?

 

Often the personas we see on TV, the movie screen, or standing behind a podium don’t line up with who someone really is. That can be disappointing, but the outward appearance in many cases is all we have to go on. Sometimes when we’re thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to get to know that person and spend time with him (or her)?’ it’s a good thing we can’t. Why pop our bubbles?

 

Interestingly, in the Scriptures the Lord repeatedly shows He has no illusions about outward appearances. Addressing the Pharisees and the religious leaders, Jesus repeatedly rebuked them for their outward hypocrisy. “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the One who made the outside make the inside also?’” (Luke 11:39-40).

 

Another time Jesus was speaking to crowds of people and His disciples, denouncing superficial religious practices. Among His statements was this observation: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness” (Matthew 23:27-28).

 

Clearly Jesus was more concerned about the truth rather than trying to win friends and influence people.

 

Well, if God puts little stock in outward appearances, no matter how good we look, what is important to Him? We find the answer in the account of how He chose shepherd boy David to succeed King Saul, another sad example of someone who looked better on the outside than the inside.

 

The Lord had sent the prophet Samuel to the home of Jesse to find the one He had chosen to become king. After reviewing each of Jesse’s sons – or so it seemed – and having God say, “No, not him…. Not him…,” Samuel learned there was one more son: David, out in the fields tending the sheep. In those days, if shepherds didn’t rank at the bottom of the totem pole, they didn't have far to fall.

 

Nevertheless, Samuel instructed Jesse to send for his youngest son. Because God had told him, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

 

This isn’t the only time the Scriptures tell us the priority God places on the inner person. Proverbs 16:2 tells us, “All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.” Similarly, we see in Proverbs 21:2 that “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.” If only we could do this with politicians, right?

 

Society places special emphasis on women’s outward beauty, including annual selections of ‘the world’s most beautiful woman.’ But it’s clear the Lord uses very different criteria. In a passage about marriage, the apostle Peter wrote to wives, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and find clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” (1 Peter 3:3-4).

 

This doesn’t mean He wants us to present ourselves to the outside world as slobs, that we should consciously neglect our outward appearance. But if our desire is to serve Christ and represent Him to folks we encounter each day, it’s our inner person – integrity, compassion, sincerity, and the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) – that He wants to shine brightest.

From God’s Perspective, Ordinary is Good Enough

Fans of collegiate athletics are familiar with the term “blue chip.” It describes athletes who, according to various recruiting service, are the best of the best in sports like football, basketball, baseball, softball, hockey and soccer. Any coach worth his or her salt knows one factor in succeeding on the field, court or rink is having enough blue-chip players on the team.

 

That kind of mindset carries over to other areas of life. In the corporate world, businesses delight in hiring prospects who possess MBAs, and law firms tend to favor graduates of prestigious universities and law schools. Performers on Broadway often have received their training at name-brand acting and music schools. Everyone seems to want folks with “blue-chip” credentials, the “crème de la crème” in their respective disciplines.

 

Many times, we even see this practice in the Church as well. Men and women holding prominence in the community are selected to serve as church leaders; hefty donors are asked to serve on boards of elders and deacons. The reasoning goes, “If they’re successful in the ‘secular’ world, surely they’ll be successful in handling major church responsibilities.”

 

God does not focus on
the outward appearance,
but on the heart.

What I find particularly interesting about this is that when God “recruits” people to His “team,” He utilizes entirely different criteria. As the refrain from an old song observed, “Just ordinary people…God uses ordinary people.” That is, ordinary people whose hearts are inclined toward Him.

Proof can be found throughout the Bible. Take Noah for example. In the account about God telling him to build an ark prior the Flood, we don’t read anything about his accomplishments. But we do learn about Noah’s character”: “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and walked with God…. Noah did everything just as God commanded him” (Genesis 6:9,22). 

 

The lineage of the people of Israel – and all Jews today – traces back to a man named Abram, later renamed Abraham. Apparently, he and his family were successful in business, since Genesis 12:5 mentions “all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired.” However, most significant is that we’re told, “Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6).

 

As we continue through Genesis, we find Jacob, a schemer and conniver who later received the name Israel, becoming the namesake for the Israelites. There’s Joseph, a young man who seemingly alienated his brothers with the attitude, “Dad (Jacob) loves me best.” Nevertheless, he became God’s instrument to preserve the people of Israel in Egypt during a time of extreme famine.

 

Moses, despite killing an Egyptian, was called by God to deliver the Israelites from 400 years of bondage. This is even though, when he first encountered the Lord at a burning bush and received his assignment, Moses resisted several times, arguing, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11).

 

Rahab, who protected the Israelite spies as they scoped out the city of Jericho, was a prostitute. Hardly a member of high society in her community, yet she is among those cited for special recognition in the Hebrews 11 “hall of faith.”

 

Long before David became king of Israel, he was a lowly shepherd boy, regarded as so insignificant that when God sent Samuel to choose a successor to King Saul from the sons of Jesse, David wasn’t even invited to the lineup of brothers. There are the Old Testament prophets, for the most part an unlikely bunch – not included in the “Who’s Who” of Jewish society, but rather firmly entrenched in “Who’s he?” 

 

But when it came to ordinary people, the most striking examples were the ragtag group Jesus Christ called to be His closest followers: fishermen like Simon Peter, his brother Andrew, James and John, a despised tax collector named Matthew, the-ever skeptical Thomas, Judas Iscariot who would become Jesus’ betrayer, and several others who lacked notable credentials from Jewish society. 

 

The apostle Paul, prior to his conversion, was an esteemed Pharisee, but became widely despised once his zeal was redirected to preaching the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

Most likely, none of these was ever voted “most likely to succeed” by their peers. In the eyes of most of their contemporaries – but not God – they were just ordinary people. But to Him, that made them ideally suited to become “instruments of righteousness,” as described in Romans 6:13. 

 

If you’re wondering, “So what?” the answer’s a simple one. If God could use people like those singled out above, He can use you – and me. We each have unique talents, gifts and interests, but when it comes to selecting people to do His work, the Lord isn’t so much concerned about our capabilities as He is our character.

 

This is one reason “ordinary” David, and not his outwardly more impressive brothers, was anointed to become Israel’s second king. As God told the prophet Samuel, “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).

 

Jesus referred to this truth when He told His disciples, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing…. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will remain” (John 15:5,16).

So, if you ever think you’d love to serve the Lord and be used by Him, but don’t think you have the right qualifications, good news: That means in God’s sight, you’re qualified. You’re His kind of blue-chipper! 

Covering Up What’s On the Inside

Every year when Halloween rolls around, I have mixed feelings. The prevalent focus on things like witches, zombies and vampires seems disturbing, but not surprising, given our society’s fascination with evil, the paranormal and the occult. However, what’s wrong with seeing little girls dressed up in sky-blue gowns like Elsa in “Frozen,” or little boys disguised like Jack Sparrow of “Pirates of the Caribbean”?

Shops spring up in vacant retail spaces, marketing all manner of festive and frightening attire. Some adults also enjoy costume parties, donning masks and sometimes complete costumes to disguise their identities. All in good fun for the most part, although TV murder mysteries this time of year often take place at adult Halloween parties. So, beware!

But this idea of hiding our true identities is hardly new. Dramas dating back to the ancient Greeks and Romans featured masked characters scheming to hoodwink protagonists and antagonists. Shakespeare did the same, although customs of the day required that males portray even females. In those days, apparently, a woman’s place was in the audience.

But even for the many of us who have no performing aspirations, who will never be welcomed into any thespian society, we know all about acting. For instance, engaging in a heated argument on the way to church but, the moment we exit our car in the parking lot, donning Sunday smiles and acting as if nary a contrary word was uttered.

We adopt a public persona. It might be on the job, speaking from a podium, or campaigning for office, seeking to delude those seeing and hearing us from knowing who we truly are and how we truly behave in private. And we didn’t even attend Miss Polly’s School for Acting!

There is one person, however, who can’t be deceived by our outward posturing. In 1 Samuel 16:7 we read, “For God sees not as man sees. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” We don’t have X-ray vision and can’t discern someone’s inner character, so we’re easily duped, especially by those adept at presenting personal facades. God doesn’t have that problem. Just as He expertly saw which of Jesse’s sons – David – was fit to serve as king of Israel, He’s equally skilled at perceiving our inner thoughts and motives.

The Lord is right on the spot in diagnosing our “heart problems,” As Proverbs 21:2 declares, “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.” And Proverbs 16:2 concurs, “All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.” If only we had such ability.

As the verses above assert, we not only mask our inner selves from others, but there are also times when we manage to self-delude. We can convince ourselves that we’re right, that our motives couldn’t be more pure. Even when they’re not. So it’s important to perform a self-heart check to make certain we’re not hiding inside costumes year-round, not just at Halloween time.

How do we do that? The Scriptures serve as a great mirror for reflecting our inner selves. Hebrews 4:12 explains, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” How do our lives stack up against what we see in God’s Word?

As James 1:22-24 admonishes, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” 

Halloween can be a fun, harmless, once-a-year diversion. But God desires for us to devote our lives of service to Him and His people as we truly are, sans “costume.” A term that describes this is integrity. It seems to have largely fallen out of favor in our society, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important. Proverbs 11:3 asserts, “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”

In other words, if we’re diligent to be genuine, the people we present ourselves to be, we need not fear being exposed as pretending to be someone we’re not. As 2 Corinthians 4:16 promises all who faithfully follow Christ, “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” It’s what’s inside that counts most.

Considering Covers and Contents

One of the sayings I often heard growing up was, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” I was reminded of this recently while watching a remake/sequel to the film classic, “Mary Poppins.” The main character, Ms. Poppins, still delightful in every way, told the offspring of the kids in the original movie, “A cover is nice, but the cover is not the book.”

To me this serves as a wise warning to not rely on first impressions and outward appearances, favorable or not. Being the author, co-author and editor of numerous books, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of designing a strong, appealing cover for a book. Living in a highly visual world, we can all understand that a book might have great content, but if the cover doesn’t capture us as potential readers, it most likely won’t merit our time or financial investment.

On the other hand, I’ve seen books with covers so graphically compelling that I couldn’t resist picking them up. However, after reading a page or two, I couldn’t wait to put them down.

The problem with spotlights:
They don't reveal what's on the inside.

The same holds true of people. We’re probably all familiar with TV shows like “The Voice.” Some of their most memorable moments have come when someone whose outward appearance was nothing to write home about suddenly opened his or her mouth and wonderful melodies burst forth. Without intending to sound disparaging, discovering these hidden talents was akin to finding a diamond necklace or bar of gold in the kitchen trash can.

We see the opposite as well. The media takes great pleasure in hyping people with very attractive exteriors, whether it’s an entertainer, business person, athlete or politician. They give these pretty, personable individuals exorbitant amounts of coverage, hanging attentively on their every pronouncement, as if their outward appearances lent credibility to what they have to say. The problem is, many of these celebrated personages are superficial, beauty-is-only-skin-deep types. All icing and no cake. As Mary Poppins observed, a cover is nice – but the cover is not the book.

In the Scriptures we see the classic example of this in the opening chapter of 1 Samuel, after God has lost patience with excuse-making, buck-passing King Saul and determines Israel needs a new leader. The Lord directs Samuel the prophet to go to Bethlehem so He can identify Saul’s successor from among the sons of Jesse.

Almost immediately the prophet sets his eyes on Eliab, a very striking, imposing figure of a man. Samuel thinks, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands before the Lord” (1 Samuel 16:7). We’d probably have reached the same conclusion. But God essentially responds, “Not so fast, Sammy. Let’s not go judging books by their covers. He’s not the guy. I’ve got someone else in mind.”

His actual words were, “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). Mary Poppins couldn’t have said it better herself.

One by one, Samuel examines the sons Jesse has assembled, but each time God declares, “Nope, not him. Not that one either. Uh-uh, him neither.” After checking out each of the seven sons Jesse had brought, the exasperated prophet asks the father, “Are these all the sons you have?” I think the original Hebrew reads, “Is this it? These are all you’ve got? That’s the best you can come up with?”

Then Jesse admits there is one other son, David, but points out, “he is tending the sheep.” As if to say, “You want him? The young one that smells like stinky sheep, sweat and stuff?” But Samuel insists, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives” (1 Samuel 16:11).

So Jesse summons David. When he arrives, the passage tells us Samuel sees a fellow who is “ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features.” Not a bad-looking guy at all, but most important, he is definitely the one God has chosen to succeed Saul as king. “Rise and anoint him; he is the one,” God tells Samuel.

If you’re familiar with the story of David, you already know he turned out to be a pretty good king. Yes, he committed some grievous sins. He committed adultery with another man’s wife, then to cover up his wrongdoing, arranged to have the hapless husband to die in battle. Murder, secondhand. But he was also described as “a man with [God’s] own heart” (Acts 13:22). That didn’t mean he always did right, but when he did wrong, David was willing to own up to it, unlike his predecessor, Saul. His heart was right.

The Scriptures speak about this in many places, such as Proverbs 21:2, where we’re told, “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.”  Another verse, Proverbs 16:2, makes a similar observation: “All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives (the heart) are weighed by the Lord.”

These should caution us whenever the spotlight shines brightly on the latest and brightest celebrity or star on the political scene. Spotlights are good for displaying what’s on the outside, but from God’s perspective – and it should be from ours – what’s inside is what counts. Remember, covers are nice, but a cover is not the book.

Finding the Diamond in the Rough

You probably know that diamonds, as magnificent as they are, started off in very humble form – carbon which has been compressed under extreme pressure and high temperatures for a long time. Amazing what you can make out of a lump of coal.

As with most gems, it’s necessary to dig into mines to find diamonds. In a sense, life’s a lot like that – whether it concerns people or prized possessions. Sometimes you have to look hard and deep to discover the surprise below the surface.

We see this in business – an employee that initially seemed unremarkable, through hard work and perseverance, proves to be a prized staff member. Dedicated teachers are adept at finding hidden gems, students with special talents and affinities for particular subjects, if only they’re encouraged to develop them. Most sports teams thrive because, along with the obvious “star” players, athletic diamonds in the rough emerge.

When I applied for a job with CBMC, a ministry to business and professional people, I was asked to take an extensive psychological profile. The subsequent evaluation described me as “a diamond in the rough.” My prospective employers were advised if they were willing to be patient with me, I could prove to be a valued team member.

Patient they were, and I enjoyed 20 years with the parachurch ministry. I’d like to think I made some valuable contributions, not only to CBMC’s organizational mission but also for eternity. But that’s not for me to assess.

Studying the Bible we find God specializes in identifying and using diamond-in-the-rough types of people. This is basically how David, a humble shepherd boy, was chosen to be king of Israel. The prophet Samuel was sent to the house of Jesse to find the successor to the headstrong and disobedient King Saul. Jesse – the father – proudly presented all but one of his sons, each of whom seemed impressive. God, however, was not impressed.

The Lord prompted Samuel to inform the father, “The Lord has not chosen these….” Then he asked, “Are these all the sons you have?” To which Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest…but he is tending the sheep” (1 Samuel 16:10-11). Why bother with “Squirt,” right?

The prophet informed Jesse the selection process wasn’t done, so he should send for the overlooked shepherd boy. Upon his arrival, young David was immediately chosen as the king-to-be: “Then the Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; he is the one’” (verse 12).

There’s a simple reason behind this. Earlier, God had informed Samuel, “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). We tend to evaluate people according to the “look test.” God prefers the heart test, judging who the person really is on the inside.

Repeatedly in the Scriptures we find the Lord choosing the unlikely, the improbable, even the despised for His work. Jesus chose lowly fishermen, a hated tax collector, just plain ordinary people to be His followers – and after His crucifixion and resurrection, when He ascended to heaven, Jesus entrusted His eternal mission to this collection of characters people of the time viewed as rabble.

This should serve as encouragement for each of us. Maybe we don’t have the glowing resume or credentials of other people; we're certain they’re more qualified than we are, especially for the work of God’s kingdom. But human qualifications are often among the least of His concerns in the selection process.

As Proverbs 21:2 tells us, “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.” Then it adds, “He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend” (Proverbs 22:11). To God, if your heart’s right, you might be the diamond in the rough He intends to use! And if we’re paying attention, He might send some diamonds in the rough our way to help in what He’s called us to do.

Dancing With the Scars?

Life has its way of leaving scars, doesn’t it? My first physical scar showed up in my 20’s. I was lugging a large box out of a retail store and scraped the top of my right hand against a metal door. It wasn’t a deep gash, but to this day I bear a “souvenir” of the incident. Years later I managed to cut myself in nearly the same spot on my other hand, so I’m still fairly symmetrical. (You know what “symmetry” is? In the South, it’s where they take the body after it leaves the funeral home.)

My most prominent scar came nearly nine years ago when I underwent open-heart surgery to have four bypasses and have my aorta replaced. I became an unofficial member of “the zipper club,” because that’s kind of what it looks like after they stitch you back up. My “zipper” is less pronounced now, but the scar lingers.

I’ve been thinking about scars because of a comment made by a young lady I met about six years ago. Like me, she had an aortic aneurysm and required an open-heart procedure to correct it. Since we had the same cardiothoracic surgeon, he suggested I meet with her and her family to discuss my surgery experience and the recovery process.

The young woman, who also has fared well since her surgery, said on social media recently her only regret is the scar that remains quite visible. This is understandable, especially given the emphasis our society places on external appearance. And some people have the insensitivity to stare whenever they observe something even slightly out of the ordinary.

I responded to her post, noting the scar proudly represents the surgery that has allowed her to pursue her life’s dreams, get married, and enjoy countless mornings filled with opportunity. Rather than a flaw, her scar can be viewed as a gift from God.

The world is filled with individuals who appear flawless on the outside. Who they are on the inside, however, can be a very different story. I’ve met some people like that. The gossip magazines and tabloid talk shows introduce us to many more of them.

This is why the Bible reveals God is far more concerned with what how we look on the inside than on the outside. In fact, 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us, “God sees not as man sees. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

And Jesus wasn’t trying to win friends and influence people when He denounced the preeminent religious leaders of the day: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness” (Matthew 23:27-28).

He wasn’t saying people shouldn’t have any concern about looking their best, but we should give greater attention to our inner person: “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart” (Proverbs 21:2).

Of course, not all scars are visible. They can be emotional or psychological, the remnants of cruel, damaging words as well as physical abuse in its many despicable forms. They may be easier to conceal than a surgical scar, but there just the same.

The key, I believe, is learning to get past them and the pain they represent – dancing with the scars, so to speak.

As followers of Christ, when we stare at our scars and declare, “God, you don’t understand,” we can hear His reply, “Yes, child, I do understand.” As Isaiah 53:5 reminds us, “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

Jesus suffered on our behalf, and the Bible says even today He bears the scars of His atoning sacrifice for our sins. Because of that, we truly have the privilege of dancing with our scars. “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy” (Psalm 30:11).