Beyond Our Bias

January 30, 2020

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 NLT

It’s hard to admit, but we all have subconscious biases that God really has to go beneath the surface and help us overcome. I had a wonderful professor in grad school who just owned it straight up. He said our classes were so large that his unconscious tendency would be to grade our papers and projects according to an impression he had gotten about us. That would mean some of us would get credit we didn’t deserve, and others would get deducted who actually deserved more. He had us turn in all written papers and projects with our social security numbers and then he would return our papers. That would guarantee that a bias didn’t hurt us.

God tells Samuel that people in general have biases. We judge by outward appearance, by what our eyes see and how we “feel” about something. In the case of choosing a king, he warned Samuel that people were impressed with Saul’s height and good looks, but they were not what mattered. Saul looked extraordinary and like a natural for a king, but he lacked the character and nobility and obedience needed to rule well. God said, “I have rejected him. The things important to you are not important to me.”

We should remember that. We spend significant time working on our bodies, our education, our banks accounts, our houses, our cars—nothing wrong with them being in good shape. But that’s not what matters to God. We can look very good in those areas—extraordinary, in fact. In God’s way of evaluation, however, it can matter little.

David was small, insignificant, ordinary, and inexperienced compared to Saul. But because he was willing to courageously obey and work on what matters, he became the greatest king of all time, forerunner to Jesus. Jesus is able to use me when I don’t have many or any of the qualifications for most extraordinary roles. He chooses me for obedience and priority in my relationship with Him. Ordinary me is just what He is looking for, when being like Him is what I want most. God said David was one who pursued a heart like His. That one characteristic will make me extraordinary!

• Pray: God, I can easily spend way too much time, energy, and focus on things that don’t matter to You at all. My path to extraordinary lies directly in the space and energy I give to pursuing Your heart. Please remind me when You see me putting more emphasis on areas that do not contribute to my life with You than I do pursuing You. I know my efforts to make myself somebody are feeble. That’s your job. Help me trust You with that as I obey. Amen.