Lesson 2 Outside the Zone Part 1

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Outside the Comfort Zone of Appearance: David

I Samuel 16:1-13

Last night our ladies’ Bible study discussed the first issue outside of our comfort zone: appearance.  David was the character of focus and to begin the evening, I asked the question:

When men and women of the Bible allowed themselves to go outside of their comfort zones, then the Lord received the most glory. Why?

Because of the obvious evidence that only by HIM could such incredible transformation take place.

David had the lowest beginnings of just about anyone in the Bible.  As a shepherd, he was considered as a servant.  Yet Samuel was sent by God to anoint a king from the house of Jesse to replace Saul.   There were two criteria that God specifically negated: countenance and height. Verse seven of this passage in I Samuel explains the reason for this:

The Lord doesn’t see as man sees; God looks on the heart.

David didn’t look the part; and in fact, after all the sons of Jesse had been reviewed by Samuel, he was left asking, “Got any more kids? Cause none of these fit the bill.”  David was then summoned from the sheepfold.

Step one to going “Outside the Zone”, that comfortable place where we create the boundaries and limit our faith in God, is to stop forming conclusions based on the visual sense.

What you see is not always what you get.

An amazing Christian lady that I follow on Twitter, Gail Hyatt, posted this picture just a couple days ago.

This was her attempt at making a from-scratch carmel frosting that was an heirloom recipe from her husband’s family.   I just love her authenticity.

What is God calling us to look past?  To fully ignore? To make invisible?

Pointblank honesty here.  My list of conviction: tatoos, skin color, physical scars, emotional scars, designer labels, poverty, wealth, hairstyles, piercings… And the list could go on.  Be honest; you have your list.  Those things you judge yourself for or others on without thinking, without extending grace.

How do we look on the heart as God does?  How do we get past the comfort zone of our own appearance?  How do we get past the physical appearance of others and peer into the heart of their souls?

By having our own hearts perfect toward the Lord.

Here is a second picture Gail posted:

You see, the experience and taste of the cake completely outweighed its appearance.

God wants us to see as He sees; He wants us to be so close to Him that we are continually looking at hearts, lives, and souls.

He wants us to step outside the comfort zone of appearance and see ourselves and others as He sees us.

Part 2 will discuss how to practically have our heart perfect towards the Lord, but for now:

Do you struggle with the outward appearance of yourself or others to the point of making boundaries that limit your faith in God?

Are you treading water in the shallow comfort zone of appearance?