You Can’t Judge A Book By Its Cover
Outward appearances can be deceiving, but that is how most of us judge people. I’ve always heard about first impressions being the most important, and your outward appearance is what people notice first. Here is why you can’t judge a book by its cover…
If you ever worked in a bank, you probably already know that someone’s appearance isn’t a good representation of their financial status. I heard of a multi-millionaire who loved his farm and was always dressed in muddy boots, stained shirts, worn-out jeans and overalls, and a dirty hat. If you passed him on the street, you would have never guessed that he was one of the largest landowners in the state.
On the other hand, if you saw a gentleman dressed in a sharp-looking suit getting out of an expensive car, you would think he was financially wealthy. However, he could be struggling to make ends meet and worried that his car would be repossessed.
Let’s be honest; we live in a world that makes a snap judgment on everything we do. How we wear our hair, the car we drive, how we dress, the house we live in, the vacation we post about, and thousands of other details that are all superficial. All of those things can be deceiving and shouldn’t even matter.
1 Samuel 16:7
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.”
Samuel was sent to find a replacement for Saul, and he was impressed by Eliab because of his outward appearance. But the Lord ignored all of that and looked at his heart instead. The Lord knew that David’s heart was what He was looking for even though he didn’t have the outward appearance of a King.
When I think about the Lord judging me by my heart and not what the world sees, I worry that I would be like Eliab. My appearance is important for my job, but my heart is important to the Lord. Does He see kindness, love, and humility? Or does He see the seven deadly sins of pride, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, sloth, and wrath?
The thought humbles me, and I pray that the Lord forgives me for putting more emphasis on my appearance than on my heart. I’ll also be working on looking beyond the appearances of others and instead try to be more like Christ, who looked at the heart and loved without condition.
Such a nice reminder from the Word ~ 🙂 Eileen Shrode
So true!!!!!!!😊
Wonderful reminder. Thank you for all your hard work Tania! Have a great day!
On average we have 7 seconds to make an impression when we enter a room. I guess it depends on who and when you need to make that count. What matters is the love you have for your family, which I feel is heartfelt from reading your blog. I also look at the fact that you’re trying to help women feel good about themselves. Sometimes as women get older they get in a slump, where they don’t care about their clothes, hair, or makeup. Offering advice on style, which you’ve offered affordable suggestions has perhaps given women that “push” they need to feel pretty.
What a great post that contains some things for me to seriously think about. Thank you Tania!
Interesting post today. I worked in the public eye for more than 25 of the 34 years I spent in Federal Government Service. All of that in uniform, which meant even more and closer scrutiny from the public.
When we had new recruits coming in from the Academy, I always took the time to tell them that no matter how someone was dressed or no matter what persona they presented in primary inspection, you should never assume that you know who they are.
We had a large number of what we referred to as Beach flights that brought back US citizens from spending time on the beaches south.
I cannot count the times that I greeted a passenger, sunburned, wearing cutoffs and a graphic t shirt, who turned out to be a Member of Congress, and on occasion was also a Member of the Budget Committee that doled out our
Agency’s budget for the upcoming year.
It was upmost important that we greeted each and everyone with same demeanor and respect, no matter who they were or how they were dressed.
Now that I am retired, I find that that trait is still inside me when I’m out and about. And it works always, no matter where you are or what the occasion.
Thank you for these wise words Tania. Love this and really needed to see it this morning. ❤️
Love your Sunday posts. Thank you for your hard work and daily Bible post. I appreciate them and am inspired by them.
Thank you for this post. It was very thought provoking!
Very welll said, Tania. I believe you have a heart of gold for all the people you help by your daily blogs and inspirational messages! Thanks for all you do!
A good message to hear this morning.. Thank you.
Great post, something to ponder.
Based on the sweet stories you share about Joe, your family, life and spirituality, I think our good Lord sees straight into your heart of gold.
Words of wisdom, Tania♥️
wonderfully said! Thank you and something I try to keep in mind daily also.
Thank you! I needed to read your blog this morning.
Perfectly said! Love your Sunday posts. And all the other days, too!