1 Samuel 16:7, New Living Translation

“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.’”

How often do we look at an individual and judge them? Maybe it’s based on their appearance, maybe it’s based on their behavior, or maybe even based on their belief. I have even found myself guilty of this. But God, and His loving kindness showed me where I was going wrong.

1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT) says, “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.’”

These words were spoken to Samuel when the Lord was seeking out David to anoint him as king. The appearance of an individual should not take precedence over the heart of an individual. We are all children of God. Jesus Christ died, not just for one, but for all. Jesus cares about the condition of our heart, and that our hearts are turned towards Him.

Just the smallest difference between people can cause judgment in division. Christ did not want a church. And His high priest prayed, He prayed; “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” (John 17:20-21, NLT)

With our differences set aside, we should be loving one another, not rejecting one another. We will be known by our love for one another. If we are loving as Christ, the individuals we encounter will experience Christ. The Holy Spirit can minister to the individuals we encounter through Chris’s love in us.I was afraid of being converted to a religion, and I didn’t quite understand. Though there are some slight differences, there are some similarities. We both believe in God,” the Father,”God, “the Son”, and God, “the Holy Spirit.” We both believe that Christ died for our sins. Today, I gained a friend, a brother in Christ. I choose to love like Jesus and let the Holy Spirit do what He wants. It is not up to me to save anyone. That’s Jesus' job. I am called to love. It is not up to me to judge. The Bible tells us, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.” (Matthew 7:1-2, NLT)

I want to treat others with love, respect, and compassion. In turn, I hope to receive the same. When it comes time for my time before the Lord, I do not want my judgment to be harsh.

I am so grateful God opened my eyes and taught me this lesson. I pray we can all take something away from this. And in heaven, there will not be denominations. We will all be one in Christ.