Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (1 Sam. 16:7)

SHAWN MEGIRA, a teenager from Long Island, New York, walks into the mall. He stands in line to order a drink, and looks behind him and, in his own words, “There’s like a line of fifty people just waiting to take a picture (with me). It’s ridiculous.” What made this kid a micro-celebrity? He’s not a rock star. Not a renowned athlete. He’s not a prodigy pianist. He did not save a baby from a burning building. People know him because he’s “instafamous.” He posts a lot of pictures of himself on Instagram and has tens of thousands of followers. He is an ordinary teen turned social media icon.

Yes. We still have the same habits as Israel did a long time ago. Our eyes lock onto how someone looks. Are they beautiful? Are they attractive? We gravitate toward such people. God thinks on a different wavelength. If Jesus were online, who would He friend and follow on social media? Whose posts and pictures would He “like”? People with character. People whose hearts and souls are receptive to God. People who love others, not just their own images.

You’ll notice that the Bible says that David was rugged and handsome in appearance. There’s nothing godly about being physically unattractive. But God wants to make sure we know that it wasn’t David’s appearance that was special about him; it was his heart.

The next time you see an attractive person, look at his character too.

© 2018 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.20