Unaltered

People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)

There has been a new campaign in modeling that is quite revolutionary. Many models, including super models, have begun to produce content (pictures) that are unaltered. They often times will have pictures done without any makeup or, some models, have begun putting a clause in their modeling contracts that prohibits the photo editors from altering the image. (For those who are unaware, nearly every image in a magazine or used for marketing purposes is digitally altered to make the models look more “beautiful.”) They want the world to see that even those who make a living off of their looks have blemishes too.

Additionally, there has been a rise in what is termed “plus-sized modeling.” These men and women have curves and a little meat on their bones. Why? Because there is a movement which is stating that models should mirror what most women and men in society look like.

Though I applaud these efforts and making models appear more lifelike, we’re still missing the mark when it comes to beauty. We are still judging by outward appearances. And, in many ways, we do the same thing when it comes to faith.

We often times judge the popularity, or celebrity, of a Christian by how well they christian (yes, I made it into a verb). Do they say they proper things? Do they pray in King James English (my personal favorite)? Do they dress the proper way? Do they preach relevant sermons? Do they teach Sabbath School? Do they hold Bible studies? Now, don’t get me wrong, these are all good things (Except maybe the praying in King James English). But we can’t judge someone by their appearances. We have to look deeper. We have to look at their heart.

As our verse today states, “People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” In other words, why are they doing what they are doing? Is it all for show, or is it genuine? Are they the same Christian at home as they are in public? Do they actually believe what they preach, teach, and do? Do they have a Christlike attitude, loving everyone? Do they exhibit humility or pride? These are all ways to judge someone’s heart.

May we be more like God. May we look at people’s heart, not their appearances. May we worry less about our own Christian look, and pray that the Lord produce in us a pure heart, full of pure motives, full of His undying love. May our Christianity be unaltered.

To listen to this Daily Dose episode, go the the Podcasts Page and click on your favorite podcast platform.