How Does God See People? 1 Samuel 16:7 has this: But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” Does that mean the Father doesn’t care what we wear or how we look? Yes, He does. Read on.
Appearances can be deceiving. You can see the true nature of a person in how they act. What does that mean? Matthew 7:15-20 has the answer: Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
Don’t look like the world. The world is about looking good and having the “right” appearance. But the Bible says something different: Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever, 1 John 2:15-17.
Our appearance makes a difference. The impact we have on others is affected by the way we dress. Here’s 1 Timothy 2:9-10: And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.
Christians look and act differently from unbelievers. Matthew 5:13-14 states: You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.
Our Father has a lot to say about how we look and act. Amazing. The Bible has a lot to say about how we look and appear to others. Let’s give consideration to these points and honor God in how we look.