The Weight of Grace book

The World’s Judgment

by | Apr 18, 2013 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

How many times a day do you say to yourself, “You’re fat! You need to lose weight! You’re ugly!”? When you judge yourself by your outward appearance, are you thinking and judging as God does?

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.  1 Samuel 16:7b (NIV)

The world tells us to love someone because he or she is beautiful on the outside, but the Spirit convinces us to love because of the love he puts in our hearts. If anyone (including you!) is so shallow as to disqualify you in any way on the basis of your weight, that person is to be pitied, because there is a very vital way in which he or she does not understand the value system of God.

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.  1 Peter 3:3-4 (NIV)

When you list the characteristics you love about individual people, you know that how they look is very low in priority, if it’s even a factor. Look at how little children love. Do they love their mothers only if they look a certain way? We were created knowing in our hearts the way to love – unconditionally. It is the world (our culture/media/institutions) that convinces us that love and acceptance can be obtained only if we look outwardly as the world prescribes. That may be true for the world. The world and the worldly may think those who don’t fit their mold don’t deserve love. But those with the love of Jesus within their hearts know better.  (See also John 12:31 and Romans 12:2.)