Recently, controversy has erupted concerning H&M and a jumpsuit. I won't get into the tiny details, but basically, H&M created a jumpsuit that many complained about, saying that it resembled the uniforms worn by Kurdish women fighting ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria). Some said that the jumpsuit was "disrespectful" and that H&M "ought to be ashamed of themselves". Personally, I do not have much of an opinion on this. It's a neat jumpsuit and I will leave it at that. After, H&M apologized claiming that they never intended to offend anyone by creating the clothing. The color is trending and so are jumpsuits. But, how many people know that H&M in the past has allowed slavery to occur in their corporation around the world? Many do not and will not know that many of the jumpsuits, jackets, blouses and wedges made by our beloved H&M were once created by men, women and children suffering under poor work wages, sexual abuse, human trafficking and other unimaginable conditions.
On a different end of the spectrum, social media was recently in an uproar about the tan suit that the President wore in a press conference. Comments such as, "If everyone is in an uproar about Obama wearing a tan suit, just wait until he wears white after Labor Day," were made ridiculing the President about his wardrobe. To this day, I do not know what the speech was about and I guarantee that the other 1,000,000 young people who joined in on this re-enactment of Fashion Police do either.
Now, to my point.
In 1 Samuel 16, God told Samuel to go to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse's sons to be king. Samuel went and observed all of these men while he awaited for God to show him the one that he was supposed to anoint. Here's where Samuel shows that he was exactly like us. As soon as he arrived, he sees Eliab, Jesse's eldest son. Eliab must have been tall and handsome with leader-like qualities, because as soon as Samuel laid his eyes on him he said, "Surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the Lord," (1 Samuel 16:6). Wait, what? Samuel...a great man of the Bible judged someone based on their looks? Yes! He absolutely did! What a joy to know that God has given us scripture that is so relevant in our culture!
Then, God stepped in and turned Samuel's heart and focus back onto Him by saying, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart," (1 Samuel 16:7).
Samuel observed 7 other sons until finally Jesse called in his youngest son, David, who attended to sheep. The Lord then told Samuel, "Rise and anoint him; this is the one". Wow. What powerful words those are? David, a young boy who tended to sheep was chosen by the Creator of the universe, not because of his height, muscles or clothes, but because of his heart. David was "a man after God's own heart". Not after God's own clothes, hair or height- His heart.
We are living in an image driven world. Surface level is becoming the new deep. Controversy over jumpsuits and tan suits are given more attention than human suffering or words that are spoken to better our society.
God has given us a way to escape all of this. By following Him, we can choose to put off the ways of the world and to become men and women after God's own heart. As we grow in him, we become less and he becomes greater in us. The joy that this brings to my heart is overwhelming! I am not confined to look a certain way, talk a certain way or dress in any way that conforms to what someone else thinks I should be. When The Lord looks on my heart, I want to be confident in saying that he sees Jesus.
The world may SEE me how it wants, but Jesus KNOWS me as I am.
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