Remember the Heart

But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for the man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.  1 Samuel 16:7

I try to pay extra attention to what I wear. I don't spend a lot of money on clothes but I want to dress well. Not expensively or really trendy but feminine and appropriate. Why? Because people notice our appearance and we are here to be a light to people. I know this verse is normally used to remind us that God cares more about our heart than the outside but I think we need the reminder that people can't see our heart. They see our appearance.

photo courtesy of winnond/freedigitalphotos.net

We all say something with our appearance. It reflects what we believe about ourselves. I don't want people to think "Oh, Christians are really frumpy" or "Wow, how can she dress like that and be a Christian." Now I realize I won't please everyone and that's ok. I'm not trying to but I do want to be the best representative I can be. 

But you know what? While my appearance might be one of the first things noticed I don't want it to be the most remembered. My heart should be so overflowing with God's love that they remember that. I want them to think Lisa...the enthusiastic one. Lisa...the one that loves her husband and kids. Lisa...the one that apologizes. Lisa...the one that loves Jesus. If they never think to mention what I wear- great! Let's be remembered for our "yes's."

Again, we need a balance. We need to remember to care for our appearance because we are here to witness to people. But we also need to remember that our heart is the most important to God and to others once they know us.