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But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7
Reflect
There’s no doubt that television plays a huge role in the way we view the world. Today, it’s more than even TV. Now, our young people are beholden more to what they see on their cell phones than even what we watch on television. Before we got locked on images, we relied more on what we read and, in the age of radio, what we heard. Now, we are driven so much by the things that we see, whether or not they are true or reliable.
Take, for example, the first televised presidential debate, aired on September 26, 1960. Prior to that election, voters largely decided how they would vote based on what they read in newspapers or perhaps heard on the radio. But for the first time, people got to see their candidates on screen. And what they saw changed the course of history—and was an early indication of the way we consume information today.
Republican Vice President Richard Nixon faced off in the debate against the Democrat nominee, Senator John F. Kennedy. Nixon had recently been hospitalized for a knee infection, and he had maintained an intense campaign schedule following his stay in the hospital. When he arrived for the debate, Nixon appeared tired and had a “five o’clock shadow.” Kennedy, meanwhile, was well-rested and clean-shaven. Though the two candidates were only four years apart in age, Nixon looked like an old man compared to Kennedy’s youthful appearance.
The exchanges in the debate were fairly even. Both candidates made their respective cases effectively. But Nixon’s haggard appearance definitely affected those who watched—and more than 80 million people tuned in that night. The candidates’ appearances were so starkly contrasted that Nixon’s mother called him afterward to make sure he wasn’t still sick. The overwhelming consensus was that Kennedy decisively won that first debate—at least by those who watched. There has been a lingering impression that those who listened felt that Nixon won that evening. Studies since then have questioned that opinion, but Nixon’s running mate, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, believed that Kennedy had won the debate, while Kennedy’s running mate, Senator Lyndon Johnson, felt that Nixon had won. Lodge watched on TV; Johnson listened on the radio.
In the debates that followed, Nixon was both well-rested and clean-shaven, but the larger audience had been for that first debate. And more than half of the voters apparently had their opinions formed in part because of what they saw.
In the years since, we have clearly followed the trend from that night. As a society, we are impacted massively by the things we see. Again, now it’s not even driven just by televised images but also by the things we see in social media. The artificial and enhanced images that we see drive people to pursue what is sometimes impossible. Instead of just admiring a rested and clean-shaven man, we crave images that have been Photoshopped, retouched and airbrushed. Too often, we are impressed solely by what we see before we even find out whether or not there’s any substance behind the image.
Repeatedly in the Bible, we are told to look beyond the exterior and to examine the substance that lies within.
- “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” (Proverbs 31:30)
- “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” (John 7:24)
- “So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23:28)
- “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
It’s not wrong to admire beautiful things. That’s human nature. But we cannot be bound solely by outward appearance. As Christians, we have to resist the world’s tendency to rely on packaging over substance. That goes for what we choose to watch, listen to, purchase or vote for. And it certainly applies to the people we choose to associate with. Today, pray for the Lord’s guidance and discernment to direct you with spiritual eyes that see through the packaging to what’s inside.
Reflection copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt.
