Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was assassinated forty years ago last Friday, said in one of his most famous speeches that he longed for his children to grow up in a world where they would be judged “not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” It’s a sad commentary on our society that four decades after those words were spoken that we do not yet live in such a world, although to our credit we have made considerable progress.

The anniversary of Dr. King’s death caused me to reflect upon the way that we as human beings regard one another, as opposed to the way God regards us. We assess one another on the basis of the outward characteristics we can see-not just in terms of skin color, but in general. Psychological studies have shown that when we look at a person we find physically attractive, we presume him or her to be intelligent and capable. We look at a person of less striking appearance and presume that individual to be less bright and skillful. The person who wears eyeglasses is a “brain” or a “nerd.” The overweight person is “jolly.” A person with a physical handicap is often thought to be mentally deficient, even though his handicap has nothing at all to do with the clarity of his mind.

Most of us are not unlike Samuel, sent to the home of Jesse to anoint one of the sons of the family as king. Jesse’s eldest son, Eliab, walked into the room, and Samuel was immediately impressed. Although we are not told what Eliab looked like, the context suggests that he was a tall and handsome man like Israel’s first king, Saul (1 Samuel 9:2). Samuel took one glance at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!” But God told Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:6-7).

Appearances can easily deceive. David’s son Absalom was more handsome than any man in Israel, perfect in face and physique from head to foot (2 Samuel 14:25). Yet Absalom was a treacherous, murderous, and arrogant son who sought to kill his father and steal his kingdom. Many were persuaded to follow Absalom because of his compelling appearance, but ultimately he was defeated and slain. In contrast, consider Gideon, a man from an insignificant family in one of the smallest Israelite tribes, and by his own admission the least of the men in his own family (Judges 6:15). Still, God saw in Gideon a leader capable of defeating an innumerable army with only 300 men.

Like Gideon, Saul of Tarsus was a man some might have easily disregarded because of his outward person. He once wrote concerning himself, “‘His letters,’ they say, ‘are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.’” (2 Corinthians 10:10). Yet God chose this fellow who made such a poor outward impression as one of the chief deliverers of His inspired word. Why? Because “the righteous God tests the hearts and minds” (Psalm 7:9).

In our modern culture, people spend millions of dollars every day trying to beautify their outsides, while their inward being goes lacking. The Scripture instructs us, “Do not let your adornment be merely outward — arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel — rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:3-4).