Today I was firing up my grill. It’s the old kind that actually takes charcoal to work…no gas or propane that lights instantly and lets you start cooking within seconds. No, this grill is getting rusty and faded. If someone did not know any better, they just might think it had seen its last days. Without knowing any better, someone could easily conclude that the inside looked a lot like the outside—rusted, fading and tired. But, the reality is that I’ve replaced my grates over the years and tried to keep the inside cleaned so that I can cook wonderful food on the inside—just like this brisket. But, without opening the lid, only the owner knows what’s inside.

In like fashion, sometimes we tend to judge people by what we see on the outside. We can’t know what is in someone else’s heart any more than we can tell which football team is going to win a game with 100% accuracy before a game even starts. With football, there may be a lot of indicators and reasons that would lead us to certain conclusions, but if the truth be known, we cannot know who wins until the game is over.

So too, we cannot know what is in a person’s heart just by looking on the outside. The unfortunate truth is that sometimes we don’t even know what is in our own hearts. Only the “owner” or “creator” can know that—and that’s God. The Psalmist said in Psalm 139:14 (NIV), “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” How awesome to know that there is a purpose and a plan for each of our lives—WOW!

God did tell us in Luke 6:45 that “…out of the abundance of the heart…” the mouth speaks. In light of this verse, taken from a passage of Scripture wherein Jesus has something to say about not judging, removing splinters, wicked hearts, and beams—as well as fruit bearing—we should remember something. Instead of judging people, books, and charcoal grills by their outward exterior, perhaps it’s time to strike up a conversation, turn the page, or open the cover and see what’s really on the inside. God may just want to use you to make an eternal difference in someone else’s life by sharing the hope of Christ that is within your heart. There may be some hidden gems and wonderful aromas ahead, just waiting to bless you!