A Faith That Works When Life Doesn’t: Part 1Sample

Be Color Blessed, Not Colorblind

Some people say, “When I look at people, I don’t see their race. I don’t see their color.” There’s a word for that: liar!

Nobody is colorblind when it comes to race. And God doesn’t want you to be colorblind. He wants you to be color blessed.

God loves color! Just take a look outside. Everything he makes is in color, like sunsets and flowers. Look at all the different people around the world. The way he created you demonstrates this.

We need to learn to see all people the way God sees them.

The Bible says, “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).

Quite frankly, that’s a tall order for most of us. It’s not natural to look at the inside before the outside. We’re trained to make snap judgments based on outward appearance.

Some people you trust just by looking at them, others you don’t. Books are judged by their covers. Homes are judged by their curb appeal. People are judged by how they look, dress, and talk.

So ask God to help you start seeing people the way he sees them. Look at their heart, not their skin.

It’s one of the first steps toward overcoming prejudice in your life—and in the world around you.

Talk It Over

• Have you been judged by your appearance instead of being judged based on what you’re like on the inside? If so, how did that affect you?
• Do you have any prejudices against other people? Take that to God today and confess it. Ask him to change the way you look and judge others.
• What steps can you take to be color blessed instead of colorblind?
• In the future, what will you do if you find yourself judging someone based on their outward appearance?

This devotional © 2021 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.