Look At The Heart
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t make decisions the way you do! People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at a person’s thoughts and intentions.” -- 1 Samuel 16:7
The young man was polite and eager. He wanted a job. I made some suggestions, as did a few men standing nearby. He’d put in applications. They said they’d call, he told me. One man told him to follow up again. And so it went.
The hard truth wasn’t pretty. Those of us offering advice -- black and white -- knew the odds were stacked against him. I yearned for a time when I could have hired him. I would have. Because people who want to work and have trouble finding a job are often the hardest and most dependable employees you can have.
But this young, black man has the odds stacked against him. He’s not quite a year out of high school with no college in his sights. He doesn’t have any particular skills. Just an eagerness for a job. Any job. But no one will take a chance. They can’t see beyond his age, his color and his lack of experience. They can’t see the possibilities evident in his manners, his dress, and his quick mind.
Jesse had many sons but God chose the youngest. The shepherd. The boy who became King David from whose lineage Jesus was born. God didn’t look at his age or his lack of experience or even the ruddiness of his face. God looked at David’s heart and had Samuel anoint David to be king.
God gave us a wonderful example of how to choose people. Not by age or color or experience but by heart. We would all do well to remember that.
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