Do You See What I See?

 When you look at a person what do you see?  When the time comes to make a decision on who would be best suited to take up space in your life, what criteria do you use to make a determination.  How do you judge that person's character?  Let me tell you some things that I have been guilty of in the past.  I have based decisions on how someone looked.  Maybe they did not dress a certain way or have the look that would complete my already established inner circle of friends.  I have looked a  person's past, with the conclusion that this person could not change and would always be the same as I had heard or experienced myself.   I have listened to the opinion of others not realizing that the one telling me had ulterior motives behind their opinion.  Ultimately most of these decisions were based on what I could see with my eyes instead of being based on the discernment of the Holy Spirit.  Because of my decision to look only at the outward appearance of someone I was often guilty of mistaken judgment of character. 

Now let's take a look at this flawed decision making practice but in respect to looking for a lifelong mate or companion.  This will call for a moment of reflection on your part.  How many times have you given yourself to someone based on what you saw on the outside.  They had a good job.   Their finances were in order.  Not to mention he or she was not too bad looking on the eyes.  You passed over the person who may have been in the process of becoming.  You couldn't see what God saw and that was his/her heart.  I am reminded of the story of David when he was anointed king.  Of all of Jesse's sons, Samuel never thought that he would be God's chosen one, especially when paired up against his brothers.  But God was not looking at the outward appearance of David.  Although he was considered a handsome young man, it was his sincere faith and joy in God that made him special.  I love what the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or the height of his stature, because I have rejected him.  For the Lord sees not as man see: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." (I Samuel 16:7)  What a relief these words are to human kind!  To know that in spite of what someone else may consider a flaw, God is able to use us in spite of what we look like. Like Moses with his stuttering speech.   Jephthah, the son of prostitute.  Esther, a slave.  Mary, a mere peasant girl.  I could name many more.  If God had left the decision to us to select the best candidate to lead his children out of Egypt to the promised land or deliver Israel from the Ammonites, keep God's people from being massacred or even give birth to His only begotten Son, I would bet our choices would have been different.  But God says, I see straight through to the core of who we are.  I can see underneath that three piece suit or underneath that fabulous makeup job.  He sees our heart.  He knows our thoughts.   All we desires is for us to be true to Him.  Love Him with all our heart, mind and soul ---Matthew 22:37.  Give him access to every part of us and allow Him to make us over. 

Who then  are we to count anyone out?  To judge someone because they do not fit perfectly into our mold.  What society tells us is appealing.  Totally missing the mark in our judgment of someone's character.  It is the character of a person that comes shining through during difficult times.  When adversity is all around you, do you have the person beside you who is going to encourage you, pray with you and love you in spite of  or the person who is going to say, that's your problem and move on to the next one. We like to go with the predictable usually not open to waiting for God to work.  We want to go with what is safe.  We are afraid of the unexpected.  What a costly mistake to make when the heart of  a person is determined by so much more.  Our heart encompasses our emotions, our will and our desires.  That is why we must pray and ask God for the spirit of discernment when determining those who we choose to become a part of our inner circle.  Proverbs 28:26 says, 'He who trusts in his own heart is a fool'.  We just don't have what it takes to make these types of decisions on our own.  But we can pray Philippians 1:9 and ask God to help us to make better decisions.  After all, He is there to guide us in all things. The Lord is asking us as He asked Samuel back in the day, "Do you see what I see?"

Most Gracious Heavenly Father,

If only I had come to you sooner when faced with some of the most important decisions of my life. I have unfortunately looked at people and situations with the physical eye instead of with the spirit of discernment.  Today I am praying that my love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment.  Help me to make wise decisions and to be in tune with the Holy Spirit who is there to be that inner voice that helps to guide me along this journey of trust.  I will continue to give you all the glory and honor and the praise.  In Jesus' Wonderful name I pray Amen.