Feb. 16, 2026

Beyond Appearance

Do we truly see others the way God sees them? In today’s episode, Lauren Alessi invites us to look beyond outward appearances and explore what it means to love with God’s perspective. Together, we’ll reflect on the idea that while people often focus on what’s visible, God looks deeper and straight into our hearts. Drawing wisdom from 1 Samuel 16:7 and 2 Corinthians 4:18, we’ll consider how to cultivate a heart filled with gratitude, joy, and authenticity, moving past the surface to what truly...

Do we truly see others the way God sees them?

In today’s episode, Lauren Alessi invites us to look beyond outward appearances and explore what it means to love with God’s perspective. Together, we’ll reflect on the idea that while people often focus on what’s visible, God looks deeper and straight into our hearts. Drawing wisdom from 1 Samuel 16:7 and 2 Corinthians 4:18, we’ll consider how to cultivate a heart filled with gratitude, joy, and authenticity, moving past the surface to what truly matters.

Join our community today as we devote time to prayer, asking God to search our hearts and help us love as He does. Let’s seek together a deeper understanding and invite God to shape our hearts for His purpose.

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WEBVTT

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You're listening to the My Morning Devotional Podcast, episode 1466. Today's devo is called Beyond Appearance. Hey there, we're the Alessis, a ministry family working together in our church in Miami, Florida. And if you're like us, when days get busy and to-do lists get longer, it can be hard to find devotional time.

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That's why we've partnered with our friend Allison to produce a 5-minute daily dose of heaven. This is the My Morning Devotional Podcast. Hello everyone, my name is Lauren Alessi and I am your host for this week. I am super excited to join in this month and talk on love. I know my sisters have gone before me talking about love, and I'm excited because I'm actually going to join in and talk about blind love. My church is doing a series called Love is Blind., and so far it's really good to talk about not just one, the reality show that we all know and love, but to bring that into church and talk about how love is blind, maybe in today's day and age, but how maybe how God views love. So I'm going to take that same topic that we're talking about in church, how love is blind, and do that sort of in a shortened way here on the podcast. So I'm going to be reading a couple of verses, maybe like 1 to 2 every day, I'm going to start off by reading in 1 Samuel 16:7, and I'm reading out of the ESV version, and it says this But the Lord said to Samuel, do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, for the Lord sees not as man sees. Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. Now, before you start to think, Lauren, please do not give us a week all about dating and how we do not need to look on the outward appearance. That's not what this topic is about. That's not what this week is about. Let's look towards the second verse. 2 Corinthians 4: 18 ESV says this as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. And I think sometimes we get caught up in such a worldly, fleshly mentality because we're human. It's who we are. We get so used to looking thing, at things just as they are. We look at the outward appearance, we look at life just as it comes, and we have a really hard time looking at things a little bit deeper, looking at the, um, spiritual side of things. And here it says the Lord sees things not as man sees. Man looks on outward appearance, and that doesn't have to do with looks, guys. That doesn't have to look— that doesn't have to do with like just people. It could be what's going on in your life right now and not looking at it any deeper. If you just don't like your job, okay, and we're just looking at it as, I just don't like my job and my job sucks and I just hate where I'm at. But what's the deeper part of that? What does God want you to learn in that season? Maybe God's trying to teach you something in that season because God doesn't look at the outward appearance. God's trying to show you something deeper. And actually, it says here, the Lord looks on the heart. So God's trying to do something in your heart. Have you ever met someone who the first time you get around them, they're kind of cool, but then the more you get around them, you're like, this person is just awesome? Like, everything about them, they've just got such a great heart.

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They're kind, they're funny, they're awesome to be around, they just like are thoughtful, they're great. Why is that? Because they have a good heart, and it has nothing to do with like the clothes that they wear or or the first impression that they make on you, or how they do their hair or their makeup.

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It has nothing to do with their outward appearance, or maybe what they bring to the table the first couple of times you meet them. It's just the heart that they have. I'm thinking of a friend right now that they just have the best heart. And sometimes, honestly, being around them is exhausting because they're just such a good person. It's like, how do they have such a good heart. But that's what God sees, guys. God's not looking at our outward appearance. God's not looking at what we just constantly give on the outside.

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God's not looking at all of the things we have to provide on the outside.

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God's looking at our heart. What is your heart saying today? And I want to challenge you with this what is your heart showing today? Is it showing fruits of gratefulness? Is it showing fruits of just joy to the Lord? Grateful for what he's done in your life, or is it showing a little bit of neediness? Is it showing like not content in the season that you're in? Is it showing, God, I just need more from you, almost like a beggar's mentality? Because that's what God is looking at. And I want to challenge you, if that is where your heart is at, start to develop a heart of gladness, a heart of gratefulness, because that, that is what the Lord is looking at.

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Let's pray. Dear God, we thank you so much for just the opportunity to come before you and talk about love. God, talk about our hearts, Lord, because ultimately that's what you see, Lord. And even right now, the speaker— me, myself— Lord, I just pray, God, help me search my heart. Or God, as your word says, make it better. And any way that I am doing wrong, Lord, just cleanse me, Lord. Make it better.

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I want to see things the way you see them, Lord. And Lord, I pray that this is the prayer of every listener today. Search our hearts, God. Make it pure, make it clean, because we want to search and see things the way you do, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. So there you have it, your 5-minute daily dose of heaven. Thank you so much for tuning in today. We pray these devotionals empower you to take on your day. If you found value in this devotional, share it with a friend, leave a comment or review for us on the app you're using right now. Until tomorrow, we pray that your latte is strong, but your love for Jesus is stronger.