1 Samuel 16:7 Man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart.
How many times have we heard the phrase, “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” Here it is. Straight from the Bible.
But friends, my sincerest hope is that you consider this verse applicable to your very self. We are so consumed by outward appearance (myself included, of course!) that we sometimes forget that God is most concerned with our heart.
This exercising and eating well thing – it’s not supposed to all be about how you look in a mirror or what the number on a scale says. Without completely repeating myself, please read one of my very first posts on being fearfully and wonderfully made here: http://everydayfaithandfitness.com/wonderfully-made/
I know that the desire to “lose weight” is a great motivation for many. And for health reasons, that may be very beneficial and even necessary. But when our focus of eating and exercising shifts to our outward appearance, we have set up an idol for ourselves – of ourselves!
Our goal is to take care of what’s been given to us – our bodies – so that we can be fit and able to do the works God has called us to do.
To be healthy enough to teach the little ones’ Sunday School class.
To be strong enough to rake leaves for the widowed neighbor.
To have the energy to make it through the day with two preschool boys! (Those morning workout endorphins seriously give me the boost to get through the day sometimes!)
But remember that our outward appearance is not meant to be the end result. There is so much more —
If you don’t have time to read the whole Wonderfully Made post, here’s the most important part:
We are only here for such a short, short time. I hope you spend your minutes and your hours laughing with those you love and helping those who hurt, not lamenting about the extra inch on your waist or the pounds on the scale.
If it helps, maybe put a heart sticker on your mirror as a reminder that God is looking at your heart – not your outward appearance.
Other practical ways to help us remember this message on a daily basis? Share below!
Everyday Faith + Fitness 