As I shopped in a supermarket one day, I was perceived as a thief by one person and a hero by another.

As I left the supermarket, an employee said, “Excuse me, Sir. There are too many loose items in your trolley.” This is evidently a strategy used by shoplifters. When he saw that they were products too big to be bagged, he apologised and sent me on my way.

In the car park, a woman glanced at my gold embroidered baseball cap. Mistaking it for a military hat, she said, “Thank you for defending our country!” Then she walked away.

The supermarket employee and the woman in the car park had each formed hasty conclusions about me. It’s easy to form opinions of others based on first impressions.

When Samuel was to select the next king of Israel from the sons of Jesse, he too made a judgement based on first impressions. However, God’s choice was not any of the older sons. The Spirit told Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature” (1 Sam. 16:7). God chose David, the youngest, who looked least like a king.

God can help us view people through His eyes, for “the Lord does not see as man sees; . . . the Lord looks at the heart” (v.7).


First impressions can often lead to wrong conclusions.

Author

Dennis Fisher

Topics

Our Daily Bread