Appearances

I have to remember that God is not impressed by my appearance (1. Samuel 16:7). The Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord don't make decisions the way you do. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at a person's thoughts and intentions (heart)." (NLT) Jesus even said that appearances can be deceiving (Matt. 23:27), therefore we are not to judge others by their appearances (James 2:2-4). Many Christians are judging based on success and health: "The trouble with you is that you make your decisions on the basis of appearance." 2 Corinthians 10:7 (NLT) Inner beauty is more important than physical beauty (1 Peter 3:1-6). Christians are warned to be careful about their welfare because they should care more about spiritual than physical welfare (1 Tim.2:9-10). In Proverbs 21:2, "People may think they are doing what is right, but the Lord examines the heart." (NLT). God is looking for Christians who will worship Him from their hearts, minds and bodies. The heart is where God meets us because that is where we make our decisions. Our hearts are where our desires and motives are located. It is important to understand that our hearts is the state of our "flesh". Our flesh search for pleasure, pride, passions and selfish motives. The heart is the source of our emotions, thoughts and motives. The Bible makes it very clear, prosperity and poverty are not in our hands. "Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all." (Proverbs 22:2). Another is: "I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:12-13). God's purpose in redeeming me is not to make my life happy, healthy, and free of trouble. It is not an escape from my physical pains. God's purpose is to make me more like Christ. He will chose to allow my deafness, multiple sclerosis and other trials not only teach me, but also my loved ones around me, about what it means to become more Christ-like.