“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.”
1 Samuel 16:7

As Christians, we must be introspective, turning our eyes inward and examining our hearts. We must explore our actions and thoughts, realizing they will stand before God. And everything we encounter in life comes from God. Pondering these three points is vital to any Christian seeking salvation.

First, God doesn’t look at our outward appearance. He looks at our heart. In other words, He looks at our core, our essence, our bottom line. Is God the central force dictating my thoughts and actions? When push comes to shove, is money, power, social status, or self-preservation the ultimate reason for my thoughts and actions? We must take a long, hard look at our hearts. If we notice something God will not like, we must fix it. If we’ve noticed it, God has absolutely noticed! Before we fix our hearts and what is at the core of our being, there can be no bright future; everything that comes to us (money, success, happiness) will turn into a calamity.

Second, we must examine our actions and thoughts. We must realize every thought and action will stand before God. Imagine our actions and thoughts ride a bus; on the last stop, they get off the bus and stand before the Lord. Our words and actions do not vanish into the ether! Rocks may not have eyes or ears, but the Lord will judge how we treated that rock. The Lord will scrutinize how we treat all creatures, including bugs, animals, plants… We must remember all our words and actions, regardless of who or what they are directed at, will stand before the eyes of God.

Third, many forces act upon us. Someone may curse or even hit us. We encounter humans, animals, material items, crises, and all kinds of events in our lives. Just as we must be aware of the final destination of our words and thoughts, we must know the origin of all the things that happen to us. They all come from God. So, whatever we come across in life, we must understand that it comes from the Lord. At first, we may be flustered, thinking about ways to counter and cope. Should we punch back? Give up? Worry? Ignore it? Work harder? No! We should first realize it’s coming from God. Then, we must find what God is asking us to do. We must ask ourselves, “Why has God given me this situation?” If we accept and repent, the thing we encounter will be a source of blessing. It will have cured us of diseases buried deep inside of us.

Let’s not live in the dark!

Let’s not live filled with worries and anxiety!

If God looks at our heart and sees He resides at our core, He will bless us. He will set us on the right path, and we can run the race of life full of vigor.

Summary
1. God looks at our heart.
2. God judges our words and action.
3. All things come from God.

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