Looking The Part

 Even though it is a long way away, many folks are talking about the upcoming presidential elections. Candidates are been considered for many different factors, their platform, their experience, their personality. However, one trait that many don't consider seems to have an effect of a candidate chances to win: their height.

  Some political observers have noted that taller candidates have won 58 percent of US presidential elections between 1789 and 2008. Now are we so shallow we think size matter in presidential success? Probably not consciously, but human have a way of making quick judgements based on physical features. We are not supposed to judge a book by its cover but publisher know that people do just that.  We don't have time to read the whole book so we glance at the surface hoping to gain some quick insight.

  But does it work?

  Let’s consider three rulers found in the books of Samuel:

1^st Samuel 9:2

…, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.

1^st Samuel 16:12

… Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance.

2^nd Samuel 14:25

Now in all Israel was no one as handsome as ????????, so highly praised; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no defect in him.

  Now who would you pick? The tall handsome man? The perfect specimen of beauty? The red faced kid? On looks the ruddy David might not be best choice, but Saul and Absalom paled in comparison to him as a ruler. David wasn't the one that struck Samuel either, but God told him He sees thing differently.

1 Samuel 16:7

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

  It’s interesting that in all of the gospels we never have a physical description of Jesus. No idea of his hair color, how tall he was, his skin color, if his nose was long or his ears were too big. The closest thing we get is in a prophecy about him in Isaiah 53:2, “ He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him”.

  Maybe that tells us what we should be most concerned with judging others or even ourselves. The most important things are not on the outside but the inside!