Not to judge according to outward appearances

For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. (1 Samuel 16;7b KJV)

 Have you ever experienced some particular problem or pain that surprised you by how debilitating it was? Perhaps it was a sore toe or an earache that outwardly seemed small, but it made your day a major struggle. Then along comes someone who says, “I get infections in my ear all the time, and it’s uncomfortable but I don’t let it bother me. You just need to stay positive and keep going.” Well, though we do need to strive to “give thanks in all circumstances,” trying to keep your head above water may be difficult for you at these times.
 The Bible admonishes us not to judge according to outward appearances. Things might look fine to us, when the reality is actually very different. Our perception of the situation could cause us to minimize what someone is going through. So many factors can turn something that might seem trivial to us, into a life-shattering experience for someone else.
 God sees what we’re incapable of seeing. We don’t have to determine to what degree someone is suffering or make a call as to whether someone is worthy of His love and compassion poured through us as His representatives here. His commission to us is to follow Him and demonstrate His unconditional love to this world that’s so in need of it. So, let’s avoid judging or sizing things up according to our own understanding when it comes to the challenges and afflictions others face. —Maria Fontaine [1]

 Each of us really understands in others only those feelings he is capable of producing himself. —Andre Gide

[1] Activated The Superhero Within