Outward and Inward Christians

 1 Sam 16:7

..for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

The truth of this scripture is often misinterpreted by others to turn a blind eye to outward appearances. If we are strictly speaking of the clothes we wear and our physical appearance, then it can be argued that you cannot judge a book by its cover. The character of a person should never be judged on what a person looks like. It is natural for us to judge outwardly because we have bias and experiences that may influence our judgment. We can’t see the motives of people’s hearts, so we make the best judgment based on previous knowledge. Outward appearances can be deceiving. Jesus made this clear when he exposed the hypocrisy of the Pharisee. “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto white sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.” Jesus was not saying that followers of Christ should not look beautiful outwardly, but was teaching that real beauty is found in the hearts of men. On the flip side, scripture teaches us that what God has done on the inside, will show itself on the outside. If we observe a person who uses foul language and profanity, we make a judgment that this person does not have Jesus in their heart. Why? Jesus said. “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.” James writes, “Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” As Christians, our outward appearance and behavior is important to God. We are to be an example to others in word and deed. Our influence can encourage others to turn to God, or it can be a stumbling block. It is not our responsibility to go around with a checklist critiquing people, for truly, God only knows the hearts of men, but it is our responsibility to make sure that our outward appearance matches up the standard that God has given to us in His word. May we let our outward lives and appearance reflect what God has done for us inwardly.

Outward Appearance

 1 Sam 16:7
 for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

Things don’t always seem as they appear. It is in our nature to make an assessment and judgment on things that we observe. We do it all the time. Our judgment is based on past experience and what we have accepted as a norm for our culture. When we see a well-dressed person, we judge that they have means and care about how they look and present themselves to others. There may be other reasons why they dress up, but we make assumptions. Likewise, when we observe someone who is unkept and dressed in ragged clothes, we assume that they are possibly homeless and don’t have a place to care for their needs. 
The Bible talks about, “You shall know them by their fruit.” In context, scripture is talking about those who appear to be religious or say they are followers of Christ, but inwardly they are raven wolves. The Pharisees are a prime example. Things don’t always seem as they appear. Some will use this scripture in Samuel to say it does not matter what you look like on the outside, but the reality is that it does. Paul was careful not to be a stumbling block to others and was mindful of his influence for Christ. It is not God’s intention that we cast away outward appearance, It is important that outward appearance be a positive influence to the world around us. How we dress, the places we go, and the things we do matter. But God sees through our appearance, and sees the heart. We can’t fool God by trying to look good on the outside. He knows the desires of the heart and will speak to us first about our behavior, spirit and attitude. His first desire is for us to manifest the fruit of the Spirit and live our lives consistent with His word. David did not seem like a likely candidate to be King, but God had His hand on David, and looked at David’s heart. We may not seem to be the person for the job, but God, who knows the hearts of men, can take what appears to be weak and make it strong.