Durham Cathedral
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.”
1 Samuel 16:7 NLT
What is beauty to you? We don’t agree on what constitutes physical beauty. This reflects God’s own estimation that beauty is more than skin deep: it is located within a person’s hidden depths. Our eyes need opening to find God’s beauty in someone, while the Holy Spirit invites us to collaborate and nurture our inner beauty.
God has slowly opened my eyes to determining beauty. It’s not based upon any criteria I’d assumed. External beauty is, of course, attractive, not just physical beauty but that of art, literature, music, in fact across all of culture. Yet, God’s words to Samuel still resonate today: don’t judge a book by its cover. I am invited to take time, to perceive and discover the hidden beauty, the God seed, that’s so often overlooked. The shame of it is that individuals often fail to see their own beauty, having become so used to being ignored by a society consumed by its search for externals and the immediate gratification they appear to offer. And if I cannot see my own beauty, how can I perceive beauty in anyone else? But we are invited to take a journey with Jesus in recognising and revealing the true beauty with which we’re surrounded every day.
Take your time to discover how beautiful you are to God. And as you accept your own beauty, give thanks and go in search of the real beauty in this world.
I am now far slower to speak and make all-encompassing statements. God has quietened me and instructed me to seek the hidden inner beauty of each and every person.
QUESTION
How do you think God sees you?
PRAYER
May I view others with the same merciful eye as I hope they view me, inwardly and outwardly.
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