God’s Beauty

In today’s modern world where everything has become fast-paced and rush, rush, rush, there is little time or need for doing what is good but rather, what gets results even if this means doing what is morally and ethically wrong. Weekly, we read newspaper headings about company executives and CEOs going to prison for defrauding their company and//or clients out of a lot of money which is completely immoral and unethical but it gets things done. Paul warns us that just because we can do something does not mean we should (1 Corinthians 6:12).

Speaking in terms of beauty, whether physical or inner beauty, there is no exception which goes against the teachings of 1 Peter 1:15-16, “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” In other words, before an individual is able to properly identify beauty, we must set our sights on what is good, or holy, which comes from above (James 1:17).

Because every good gift is from God, we know that beauty does not just exist on the exterior. Physical beauty is certainly easy to see and there are billions of dollars spent each year on makeup and makeovers to attain the ideal vision of beauty but interior beauty is the easiest to see. However, the problem is, most people are too busy looking through the eyes of the world rather than with purity but in Samuel 16:17, we are instructed to look at the heart:

But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”

Further, beauty is fading and just like the seasons, will go away but a woman that fears the LORD is to be praised (Proverbs 31:30). This does not mean that one should look at themselves as praiseworthy which many in society make a habit of doing but rather, God sees beauty much differently than we do. For example, a physically attractive woman without God may capture the hearts of many within the world but a woman of average physical beauty but a heart for God will capture God’s eyes.

In order to evaluate beauty, one must be willing to put aside worldly or secular notions and activities and look at things from a holy perspective. Holiness is centered around God’s word and following the instructions of the Bible and accompanied with holiness, we are able to evaluate what is good. As already mentioned, beauty can be identified physically but it is identified much easier from within. Some of the best illustrations of this include one’s personality and their heart as an individual’s actions will reveal their heart and it does not take long to evaluate and understand real beauty.

For example, it is custom for many people to spend a lot of time getting their face, hair and other bodily features ready for work or to go out. Some women spend a lot of time on their hair and makeup and some men even spend a lot of time getting their hair just right and their clothes looking perfect. While there is nothing wrong with a person trying to look nice, modern society puts too much emphasis on the way someone physically looks which takes away from the interior of an individual (1 Peter 3:3-4). Rather than focusing so much time on how we look, we should focus more time on the spirit which is most pleasing to God.

Speaking from a Biblical perspective, we can only gauge beauty through that of Jesus Christ and we do this by setting our eyes on Him upon which He will establish our ways (Proverbs 4:5-6). As we all learn sooner or later, physical beauty does fade but just because something is physically appealing does not mean that the interior (the heart/soul) is good. Therefore, we must be careful of what we see and do as our eyes are like lamps of the body and what we see will impact the entire body (Matthew 6:22). Sometimes, like we do to things in the sunlight, we must turn away from the wickedness of this world and focus our mind and our sights onto God and His ways (Psalm 119:37).