“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. 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 16:7
A common word circulating around the board rooms, meetings and discussions in the business world recently is transparency; “We need complete transparency for this to succeed.”…”I will be transparent in my intent and communications.” These are common phrases heard in the corporate halls and business discussions today. What people are trying to do is build the confidence of those they are engaged with. This one simple word sends a message that I am an open book, I will share everything I know with you and you can trust that I have no hidden agendas. Unfortunately though, we find that actions don’t always substantiate the best intent of our words. It’s nearly impossible to enter into any negotiation, business deal or even friendly discussion completely transparent.
We all have a tendency to formulate a perception of who we want others to see us as, and we put on this façade when we are in certain audiences. How many times have you been in the middle of a heated discussion and the phone rings? Upon answering the phone, does your demeanor change into a more pleasant tone, even a joyful happiness as you interact with the person on the phone, and then immediately back to anger again when you hang up. Another example is the event of getting ready and going to church on Sunday morning. I’ve often found in our home there is absolute chaos getting everyone fed, washed, dressed, out the door without forgetting something and then trying to keep the kids from arguing about something or another on the 15 min drive to church. If we are running late, the chaos is amplified and the frustration level grows. Yet as soon as we walk up the steps and shake the greeters hand, I have a big smile and “God Bless You” attitude, despite the amount of frustration that might be within. Face it - putting on happy is something we all know how to do when the situation requires it.
Whether it is being completely transparent and open with your communication, or putting on a happy face when you aren’t truly happy inside, God knows exactly what’s in your heart and soul at every moment. When God sent Samuel to choose the next King of Israel, Samuel had a preconceived notion of who he would be looking for. After all a King should be strong, wise, experienced and confident in himself. God was quick to correct Samuel’s misconception, for God doesn’t look at the outside appearance, He looks at the heart. All 7 of David’s brothers were older, wiser, stronger and more experienced in leadership and war. David was the smallest of the lot, and had been a shepherd his whole life. God saw into this boy’s heart and knew that his faith, love and compassion for God Almighty set him apart from the rest.
You might be aged a little more than some, perhaps not as experienced as much as others, or perhaps you lack any confidence in your abilities at all. God sees what’s inside of you and knows the state of your heart. There is no need for transparency with God or need to put of a façade – just come to the Lord with an open heart to love Him, glorify Him and serve Him. He will use those who have a pure heart for Him.
We all have a tendency to formulate a perception of who we want others to see us as, and we put on this façade when we are in certain audiences. How many times have you been in the middle of a heated discussion and the phone rings? Upon answering the phone, does your demeanor change into a more pleasant tone, even a joyful happiness as you interact with the person on the phone, and then immediately back to anger again when you hang up. Another example is the event of getting ready and going to church on Sunday morning. I’ve often found in our home there is absolute chaos getting everyone fed, washed, dressed, out the door without forgetting something and then trying to keep the kids from arguing about something or another on the 15 min drive to church. If we are running late, the chaos is amplified and the frustration level grows. Yet as soon as we walk up the steps and shake the greeters hand, I have a big smile and “God Bless You” attitude, despite the amount of frustration that might be within. Face it - putting on happy is something we all know how to do when the situation requires it.
Whether it is being completely transparent and open with your communication, or putting on a happy face when you aren’t truly happy inside, God knows exactly what’s in your heart and soul at every moment. When God sent Samuel to choose the next King of Israel, Samuel had a preconceived notion of who he would be looking for. After all a King should be strong, wise, experienced and confident in himself. God was quick to correct Samuel’s misconception, for God doesn’t look at the outside appearance, He looks at the heart. All 7 of David’s brothers were older, wiser, stronger and more experienced in leadership and war. David was the smallest of the lot, and had been a shepherd his whole life. God saw into this boy’s heart and knew that his faith, love and compassion for God Almighty set him apart from the rest.
You might be aged a little more than some, perhaps not as experienced as much as others, or perhaps you lack any confidence in your abilities at all. God sees what’s inside of you and knows the state of your heart. There is no need for transparency with God or need to put of a façade – just come to the Lord with an open heart to love Him, glorify Him and serve Him. He will use those who have a pure heart for Him.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
We take down the walls around our soul Lord and open our heart to You. We know that you can see what is in our heart and know all of those things that don’t resemble Your creation. Search my heart Lord and cleanse me from within. Create a new heart in me Lord that will serve You. In Your name we pray – Amen
http://www.10minutereader.com
©Sondove Enterprises, 2011
Heavenly Father,
We take down the walls around our soul Lord and open our heart to You. We know that you can see what is in our heart and know all of those things that don’t resemble Your creation. Search my heart Lord and cleanse me from within. Create a new heart in me Lord that will serve You. In Your name we pray – Amen
http://www.10minutereader.com
©Sondove Enterprises, 2011
No comments:
Post a Comment