It is easy to judge others by their appearance. I remember the first time we went to Cornerstone Music Festival. It's a Christian music festival in west central Illinois that runs for almost a week during the 4th of July. There are all kinds of people there--many of them young, many with different colored or strangely cut hair, some with black clothes and chains, some with tattoos and strange piercings. I thought, how wonderful that these strangers to the gospel could come to hear the message of Christ sung and preached.

Well, I found out over the years (we just went for the 11th year in a row) that most of these "strange-looking" people were, in fact, Christians. I had pre-conceived notions of what a Christian should look like, and it took me some time to adjust my thinking.

Paul here is saying that the Gentiles didn't need to become Jews in order to become Christians. They had their own look and way about them--they were uncircumcised, but because of the freedom they had in Christ, they didn't need to become circumcised to become believers in Jesus. Paul didn't require anything of them except that they give themselves totally to Christ.

I'll try to extend grace to all I meet and not judge by appearances. After all, there are many people who look and act just like me but don't have the living presence of Christ within them. I should learn to ask for discernment of the heart--seeking God's wisdom and not my own.