“For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” ―1 Samuel 16:7
My old friend of mine used to say, “It doesn’t matter what you look like or where you come from, it matters what you do.” This is true in so many ways and at so many levels. There are all kinds of beauty and hidden treasures, especially when it comes to people. Some of the best things and some of the best people come in plain packages (just look around you). Isaiah described Jesus in this way: “He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He is despised and rejected by men” (53:2-3). Outward beauty has a place, but such beauty soon fades. “Man, who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. 2 He comes forth like a flower and fades away; he flees like a shadow and does not continue” (Job 14:1-2).
Nevertheless, there is an inward beauty that can grow even as the container collects some dust. “Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:3-1). Book covers rarely portend the quality of the content. Some pretty plain and ordinary people do some extraordinary things. Some of the happiest husbands and wives I know are not much to look at. We need different kinds of eyes to see beneath, above, beyond, around, and inside the people around us. It takes time to see beyond the surface.