People Are Not Always as They Seem

For now we see in a mirror, dimly,
but then face to face.
Now I know in part,
but then I shall know
just as I also am known.
1 Corinthians 13:12

We don’t always see what we think we see.  This point is especially relevant when it comes to judging people and their motives.  When I was younger, I thought I had the whole world figured out.  I thought I knew all about people.  I thought that I could peg someone’s personality by looking at them.  And I thought I knew exactly why people do what they do.  But as I have gotten older and gotten more knowledge and experiences, I have found out that I did not know as much as I thought.


When younger, I always wanted to surround myself with the coolest, best looking and most successful people.  But over time, God has taught me a big lesson in this area.  Many times God has brought people into my life whom I would not have chosen for friends based on their looks or personality.  But these God-sent friends turned out to be my best, closest, and most faithful friends.  They are people who have helped shape who I am today for the better.  They are people who have stood by me in trials and spoken into my life in times of need.  People are not always as they seem.

What do you see?
Are the circles deformed?
They are not.
Design patterns make the
circles appear to be distorted. 

Indeed, God taught us this lesson through the story of King David’s anointing.  Israel wanted a king so God sent the prophet Samuel to David’s house to anoint the next king.  But Samuel didn’t first chose David.  Samuel spotted one of David’s brothers who was tall and good looking and said this must be the one.  But God told him no.  I want you to see why God said no.  We pick up the story in 1 Samuel 16:


6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD."
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "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."


Have you ever judged the motives for someone’s actions only later to find out you were wrong?  I have. Even though we like to think that we know it all, we all perceive things through our own limited knowledge and experience.  People’s personalities are very complicated and the reasons they do what they do can vary, even in the same situation.

Are the lines bent?  No.
All of the lines are perfectly straight
and parallel to each other.

I have a friend who will disagree with you over every little fact you discuss with them, or if you try to teach them anything, they get angry.  Other people have noticed this also.  Some think the person is arrogant and full of pride because they cannot take criticism.  Others have suggested that the reason the person acts like this is because they were raised as an only child and have to have everything their own way.  But I know the person well.  I know the real reason.  It’s not what you would think.  The person is insecure because people have always called her stupid as she has very little education.  She is embarrassed and her embarrassment manifests as anger and being unteachable.

Stare at the four black dots in the
center of the image for 30-60 seconds,
then quickly look at a white wall.
You will see something in a white
circle moving up to the right. Things
are not always as they seem!

The Bible clearly warns us about judging people too quickly.  In Proverbs 25:8, it states, “What you have seen with your eyes do not bring hastily to court [or do not be quick to judge], for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame?”  In Proverbs 18:17, it states, “In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines.”  In other words, get all the facts first, then make your judgments.  People are not always as they seem.


For all the above reasons, the Bible instructs us that we “should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19) and be “ever ready to believe the best of every person” (1 Corinthians 13:7).  Put this into practice in your life and I guarantee you that you will have less stress and your relationships will grow, prosper, and flourish.  Blessings friends!