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.” -1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

It’s amazing how God teaches us as He uses us to teach our kids.

My son was pretty upset that some of his classmates called him “littlest.” He said that his feelings were hurt, and that it wasn’t true.

So, I told him that though other people may be physically bigger, we are giants and more than conquerors through God. I reminded him of little David, the youngest of Jesse’s sons. Though even the prophet Samuel thought that one of David’s taller, handsome older brothers must be God’s choice to be the next king of Israel, they were not.

God told Samuel that no, outward appearance was not His criteria for the measure of a man, but what was within. David was God’s choice to succeed Saul, for David had a heart after God’s, and he went on to become Israel’s greatest king. He also wrote over 70 psalms, drew up the plans for the Temple his son Solomon would build…and Jesus Himself descended from David’s line!

So Samuel anointed David as the chosen one. Later, David’s older, taller brothers cowered before Goliath like the rest of Israel’s soldiers. It was little David who looked at Goliath the way God sees us: he looked not at the intimidating outer man, but the victory over him to God’s glory.

I told my son that God makes us perfectly in all shapes and sizes, and that when we compare ourselves to others, we look away at the very blessings in how God made us in His image.

That was one of those times when, the second the words left my mouth and I heard them with my own ears, that I said, “Yes, Lord, I hear that you’re telling that to me, too.”

When we are obedient conduits with hearts after Him, we walk tall in God, no matter how we measure up in worldly terms.