“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”” (I Samuel 16:7)
Saul was tall and handsome; he was an impressive-looking man. Samuel may have been trying to find someone who looked like Saul to be Israel’s next king, but God warned him against judging by appearance alone. When people judge by outward appearance, they may overlook quality individuals who lack the particular physical qualities society currently admires. Appearance doesn’t reveal what people are really like or what their true value is.
Fortunately, God judges by faith and character, not appearances. And because only God can see on the inside, only He can accurately judge people. Most people spend hours each week maintaining their outward appearance; they should do even more to develop their inner character. While everyone can see your face, only you and God know what your heart really looks like. What steps are you taking to improve your heart’s attitude?
SOME ILLUSTRATIONS:
JONA OF THE VOICE TEENS
While watching the VOICE TEENS, one of the contestants by the name of JONA under Coach Sarah was for me a fantastic singer. She is a belter and I believe she can win the grand champion title. You can easily say that she comes from a well to do family who can afford to enroll and be coached by a very good and distinguished voice teacher. She is well dressed now when she sings. I believe it’s the TV station who provides for the clothes of the finalists. But you will know only the real family conditions of the contestants when they are being introduced before they sing. For Jona, she and her family live in a shanty house beside a river. Her determination to win the title was for the sake of her family to leave the dangerous condition of their shanty house beside the river during typhoons. She is a teen with a real substance in singing. Make her wear an old and worn out duster, she is sill has a substance. It is, nonetheless, the voice that makes a singer!
MY WEDDING
I recall when my wife Lem and I decided to marry during our first try that was July, 1981, I only had 6,000 pesos. We were willing to hold a simple wedding with soft drinks and sandwiches only for the food during the reception. We were already born again Christians that time and we want our relatives, friends and office mates to come to know Jesus and accept Him as their personal Lord and Savior. Thus, we desired an evangelistic wedding. We prayed hard for the program or substance of the wedding ceremony. I have never seen KUYA BEN BALUYUT (our Ninong and the one who presented the gospel) prayed hard except during my wedding. Before the wedding started, he had been at the venue of the wedding already. I saw him outside the church walking, praying, walking, interceding for the salvation of all the guests. Praise the Lord many received JESUS as their personal Lord and Savior during the presentation of the gospel. The program we prepared is still the same wedding program being used by the church.
By the way, when the Lord saw our desire to have a simple wedding but with a substance, my parents called me up and requested that we postpone our wedding for another 6 months so that they can be there during our wedding. Hence, our wedding happened January 16, 1982. We, nevertheless, had a simple wedding but no longer soft drinks and sandwiches for food during the reception. My parents and my family in Canada provided for the food. It was a memorable wedding because the guests learned the importance of marriage. Many were touched and cried during the wedding. It is the wedding program that makes the wedding not the expensive food during the reception nor the elaborate and expensive preparation!
I saw well dressed singers, but with mediocre voices. I am certain you and I have attended an elaborate and expensive wedding that was full of “FORM” but no SUBSTANCE. Unfortunately, many churches too are directed by form instead of substance. They are using the pulpit during Sunday Services to discuss the ‘how to’ topics like finances, etc. instead of proclaiming the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The ‘how to’ topics can be given as a seminar on other days of the week. The pulpit during Sunday Services Is the Lord’s.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FORM AND A SUBSTANCE?
Form is the "outer" self, substance is the "inner" self.
As you reflect on your life, what proportion of time, energy and effort do you think you've spent on your outer self – things like wearing the right clothes, driving the right car, living in the right house with the right furniture, having the right physique, the right job or the right partner? To what degree has form influenced your choices and decisions in your life?
Let's just be clear. There's nothing inherently bad or wrong about form per se. Form is a sort of "ideal" about how we want to live our lives. We start out our life based on form. But as we move from the real life stage to illusionary life stage, form often takes over, replacing substance. It becomes the driving force of our life. And when that happens, problems start.
Often we use form to fill the holes: emotional states of sadness, desperation, loneliness, anger, depression, worthlessness, fear, inferiority and the like. Why? Because we don't know what substance is or how to focus on it.
Our need for the form should grow less as our substance - our real, true and authentic self. What's "outside" must not take as much weight than substance. Our life must be directed from the inside out – from a place of substance.
"NOW faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!