Today's question stems from a conversation God had with one of His servants in the Bible. High Priest Samuel was instructed to change how he perceived people by paying more attention to how the Lord saw them. 1 Samuel 16:7 - But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected 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.”
Consider the last few words of that scripture once more - the LORD looks at the heart. They convey a caution to us on how we look at others. Those few words equally reveal how God will look at us. Since He sees past our exterior, ask yourselves - What would God see when He looks at your heart?
It's very easy to have opinions on other people, but we don't spend enough time examining ourselves and what lies at the very heart of us. Are we carrying the Spirit of God? And are we doing so in a way that makes our hearts a comfortable place for the Lord to reside? Or are we habitually gossiping, fornicating, cheating on our taxes, and using our mouths as satan does to speak lies? Do we enjoy our sinful desires and elevate them above God's wishes? If so, then we do not look as good as we think.
Are we allowing the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to counsel and transform us so we walk in humility, are not petty, and show others grace and forgiveness? How about the Royal Law - are we treating people as we would like to be treated? Are we obeying God's law by not dabbling in New Age practices and the occult? If the answer is 'no', then it is time to repent and turn from our wicked ways so the blood of the Lamb can finish its work in us.
We may think we are Christians and saved, but if we aren't choosing to live in obedience to God's word, then we are no better than those who don't know about Jesus and the sacrifice He made for mankind. If sin rules over us, then we cannot claim, as Jesus did, that satan has no hold over us. And that would be a shame because Jesus died to give us that privilege. It is for us to agree with this aspect of God's plan so it can be real for us (Job 22:21).
Believers must be more concerned with how we look to Him. We therefore need to focus on what's going on in our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 warns, Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life (NLT). The heart is impacted by what we see, think, say, and do. However, when we allow the Holy Spirit to refine every area of our lives, our hearts get healed and look good to God. Plus, we become vessels He can use for His purpose (2 Timothy 2:21). Fruitful vineyards for His glory.
For those who do not believe that any of this matters, please keep in mind that Jesus said there will be those who preached, cast our demons and performed miracles in His name only to be called evildoers at the judgment (Matthew 7:23). These types will be 'good,' churchgoing folks but because their heart posture did not please the Lord, they will not make it to heaven. Their title in church won't matter. What others think of them will be irrelevant. God, seeing who they truly are and not what they package themselves to look like, will judge them unworthy to enter His heavenly kingdom.
God seeks those who are fully committed and submitted to Him (2 Chronicles 16:9). He desires His children to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). God desires for the real you to look good to Him. He wants those who belong to Him to focus on how He sees them instead of what the world thinks of them. When we look good to God, He will honor us and make every necessary adjustment in us so others see us the way He does.
If you don't think you have a heart that would bring a smile to God's face, today is the day to change that. Tomorrow may be too late (Isaiah 55:6). So, give your life to Christ or recommit yourself to Him. This requires a choice to submit to Him, and while it isn't easy in practice, He is patient and will hold your hand as you walk that path with Him. Don't worry about not being perfect. God never sought out the perfect in the first place. It was always the broken, the unsure, the poor, and the weary that Jesus went looking for. God the Father is compassionate. He desires to heal and make people whole. If that is you, read the post below and watch the video it contains.
The Lord will help us all, IJMN, Amen. And I hope to see you at Noon EST when we will praise the Lord, pray for the needs of other people, then pray for grace to have pure hearts that please the Lord. God bless you.
To learn more, please read:
ALTAR CALL
If you are yet to give your life to Christ, don't let this moment go by without doing so. And if you've backslidden and are living as you like instead of how God wants you to, now is the time to recommit.
It is time to repent and return to the Lord. It is time to commit yourself to living by His word and submit to having Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
Look, the video below will do a better job explaining things than I can, and it's only 8 minutes long. Yup, there are no cliff notes, please just watch.
If you watched the video to the end and said the prayer at the end, then welcome to being a child of God! You are now a born-again Christian! I pray you receive the Holy Spirit and are led in the ways of the Lord. Send me a message letting me know you said the prayer. I'll send you more materials so you can grow as a new creature, washed clean and restored.
Regardless, please make prayer a regular part of your life. It is simply you talking to the Lord. Also, please start reading the Bible and ask God to make it come alive for you. It holds all the answers you need. You can start by reading the Epistle of John, the Book of Acts, and the Book of Romans. Get water baptized as quickly as you can and ask God to lead you to a church of His choosing.
Congrats and God bless you!