Challenging Normal

#2 Judging people by appearance

You have heard it said, "Do not judge a book by it's cover." I could not agree with that statement more. When you look at someone and pass judgment on them based on their appearance or the very few facts that you know about them, then you are showing your ignorance. For instance:

Because I am from South Georgia does not make me a redneck or stupid.
Because I am overweight does not make me lazy or sloppy.
Because I do not have a college degree does not make me uneducated.
Because I am a Youth Pastor I am not a "real" minister.

That list could go on and on. The issue I am finding is that we do not see people from their perspective, we see them from ours. We let our experiences and circumstance shape our views of people and where they are at in life. When we do not take time and get to know someone, when we make a decision based on the outward things, then we are not seeing people through God's eyes. We are not seeing people as God sees 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 man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

I am so grateful that when God measures a person that He does put the tape measure around their head to see how much they know, or put it around their arms to see what they can do. When God measures a person, he puts the tape measure around their heart.