Looking past someone’s outward qualities to focus inwardly on the heart sounds divine (see Looking to Change the World), but it requires some major human mind shifts.  When God told Samuel that he would learn the identity of the next king of Israel by looking at the heart, not scrutinizing appearance or outward traits, God was calling for such a mind shift within his prophet.  One of the greatest prerequisites to making any colossal pivot in thinking is humility, then and now.  To see others as God sees them demands that we abandon “doing it our way” and move forward “doing it His way.”

The account of Samuel’s anointment of David as the new king of Israel (1 Samuel 16) was filled with characters who had to relinquish their pride.  It couldn’t have been easy for them to get out of their own way; but God had a plan, and that strategy included their humility.

First, Prophet Samuel needed to humble himself.  Since God sent him decades earlier to anoint Saul as king, Samuel figured he knew how to recognize royalty.  Experience has a way of making all of us self-appointed experts.  Experience is one of life’s most powerful instructors; but when used to inhibit personal growth, it instead can become a paralyzing impairment.  Samuel needed to humble himself by submitting his reliance on his personal history to embracing God’s new future direction for him instead.

Next, Jesse had to humble himself.  Jesse was the father of these eight boys; and he clearly thought that Eliab, his firstborn, should be the choice for Israel’s new king.  His presumption went beyond even his personal preference.  Primogeniture was part of the Mosaic law that added value to the first son’s position (see Deuteronomy 21:17).  Not only was the firstborn to receive a double portion of the inheritance, but he was also an indicator of his father’s strength.  When Samuel passed over the eldest, it could be perceived as a potential blemish on Jesse’s reputation.  Jesse needed to humble himself by letting go of what others thought about him and substitute his trust in God’s plan for him.

And then, there was the critical humility of the brothers.  When their youngest brother was selected as the king of Israel, they were at a crossroads, of sorts.  They could submit to him as their king, or they could forever treat David as their baby brother who took away what could have been their own honor.  David’s anointment was not easy to accept, as revealed when Eliab confronted David on the front lines of the battle with Goliath.  Accusing David of being conceited and wicked, Eliab clearly struggled with prerogative, giving up what he must have thought was his rightful position.

Could God have accomplished His plan without the humility of Samuel, Jesse, and the other sons?  Of course he could, but God was offering them the blessing of being a part of His story.  To join God’s plan, it appears humility was demanded: Samuel would be required to humble the pride of his experience, Jesse the pride of his potential reputation, and the brothers the pride of their possible entitlements.

God continues to carry out His plans today, often requiring humility from those He calls as participants.  Just as in the story of David’s anointing, we can choose to engage actively in God’s work or to watch the divine work as mere bystanders.  The challenge for us is that our involvement will require a similar mind shift, one that transfers the focus away from us and toward God’s line of sight.  Humility may be a key characteristic within us that needs realignment.  There may be some other obstacles that hinder us from our willing contribution in the movement of God.  If we ask Him what is in our way, be careful, He just might tell us.

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