The average person does not function according to reality, but rather according to their perception of reality. Let me show you what I am talking about. Suppose that one day you are walking alone in the woods and suddenly you find yourself face-to-face with a bear! Most likely, your first and immediate response would be to quickly put as much distance between you and the “bear” as possible! However, you later discover that what you encountered was not actually a bear, but rather an actor impersonating a bear in a bear suit! At that point, you would probably feel a little foolish. However, the point is; you did not respond to reality, you responded to your perception of reality and your perception became your reality! Looks can be deceiving!

Most people are too preoccupied with images and perceptions! I have found in my experiences, that often many of the people who appear to be wealthy are not and some of the people who don’t appear to be wealthy actually are! Because of low self-esteem, many people will go to extreme measures to present an “appearance” of wealth! (The young people call this; “perpetrating”) The tragic irony is that often it takes less effort (but more discipline) obtain real wealth than it does to put on a façade! Don’t judge a book by its cover; looks can be deceiving!

That is what Jesus was talking about when he said, “Do not judge according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment!” He knew that looks can be deceiving and that what you see is not always what you get! Many of the people that you may look up to; the ones that you think, “got it going on,” are actually struggling just like you are! It just looks like they have it together! The point of this word to you, my friend, is that you must learn to live your life by faith (in God) and not by sight! Stop living your life according to what it looks like! Many times, it may look like you are not going to make it! But that doesn’t necessarily mean that defeat is your reality: It just looks that way! However, if you respond according to how it looks, you make what “it just looks like” your reality! No matter how it looks, have faith and don’t give up! Remember; looks can be and many times are deceiving!