“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is a phrase that has been used by many famous writers since ancient times. As women, how many times have we heard this phrase? But it didn’t resonate with our souls. As this quote shows, beauty is highly subjective, but if we’re honest with ourselves, we all want to be seen as beautiful and desired by those we love. Biblically speaking, the concept of beauty has existed from the beginning. God’s hand in creating heaven, earth, land, sea, animals, and people shows how beauty is part of our being. Just take a 10 minute walk outside and you’ll see evidence of beauty. The sad part of this truth is that while most of us can agree that our surroundings are beautiful, agreeing that our bodies, hair, and faces are beautiful is a completely different story.
Our confidence in our own beauty always makes us a target for our enemy, Satan. In our current culture, technology often takes on much of the responsibility. It’s because of the idea of a filter that can transform your physical reflection into someone else’s in seconds. What you see online isn’t necessarily the truth. Advances in AI and applications specialized in photo filtering are making it increasingly difficult to know what “standard beauty” looks like. I never claim that one look, body type, makeup style, or hairstyle is the blueprint for “beautiful.” When we see beauty as it is, the diversity we have within ourselves is God’s intention. Look at how diverse and beautiful our world and its people are. In this article, I want to encourage you to understand what unfiltered beauty means for yourself, using biblical truths that heal us from the inside out.
Created by the perfect creator
Before we delve into body image and beauty, one central point must be made. That is, our bodies are miraculous signs of a perfect Creator. If you sit in a science or health class, it doesn’t take long to notice how our organs, muscles, and nerves all work together in such miraculous ways. As written in Psalm 139:13, “You created my inner being and knit me together in my mother’s womb.“A perfect Creator created us. Let that sit in your soul for a moment and see what begins to heal. When we truly understand deeply that God has chosen to be among us in human form through Jesus Christ, we can begin to appreciate the importance of the human body.”
Purchase at regular price
We understand that anything of value comes at a cost. God saw that our bodies, spirits, and souls were important enough to save us from the trenches of hell. In Colossians 2:13-14 we learned:When you were dead in sin and the circumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. God has forgiven us all our sins and canceled the legal debts that were against us and condemned us. He nailed it to the cross and took it away.“I don’t know about you, but when I really step back and think about the price Jesus paid for my salvation and the new body I’ll one day have in heaven, I start to feel a little silly when I start criticizing my thighs and my gray hair.”
chosen
For many of us, insecurities about our own beauty and image of our bodies stem from insecurities that require the healing love of Jesus. Maybe you were never asked to a dance while in school, or you didn’t have a boyfriend until you were in your mid-to-late 20s. No matter your story, feeling rejected or unchosen can break our hearts. While there is no doubt that there is a place in our hearts that God created for wanting to be wanted in a spouse, we need to remember that we are already chosen and wanted, and that Jesus paid the price for our salvation on the cross. In 1 Peter 1:18-19 we read:For you know that it was not perishable things like silver and gold that saved you from the empty way of life inherited from your ancestors. But with the precious blood of Christ, we are lambs without blemish or defect.”
worth pursuing
I love the parable in Matthew 18:12-14. This parable reminds us of our uniqueness to Jesus.What do you think? If a person had a hundred sheep and one of them went astray, would he not leave the ninety-nine sheep on the mountain and go in search of the one that got lost? And if he finds it, truly I say to him, he is happier than that one sheep. Ninety-nine people who did not stray. Likewise, your heavenly Father does not want any of these little ones to perish.“This tells me how worthy of being pursued I am. We are precious to Jesus, and His will for our lives and how they impact the lives of others matters. If we view and act on ourselves through this Biblical lens, we will not accept offerings from lower options and will hold our values and healthy boundaries high.”
Another definition of beauty in the Bible
I love a good makeup and hair tutorial with the best of the best, but if I only felt worthy on days when my hair and skin were good, I’d be living a very sad life. 1 Peter 3:3-4 reminds us that the Bible defines beauty as follows:Your beauty should not come from external adornments, such as elaborate hairstyles or wearing gold jewelry or expensive clothes. Rather, it should be the unfading beauty of your inner self, a calm and quiet spirit, which is of great value in the eyes of God.“Do I cherish the vessel I have been given and express as respectfully as I can what God has blessed me with? Absolutely. But as anyone ages five to ten years, they find that as the physical self declines, the true qualities of the inner self grow, shine, and become more magnificent.”
Beauty treatments are nothing new
As mentioned above, knowing the most essential aspects of the Biblical definition of true beauty helps us stay focused on what matters most. Doing so does not give us permission to ignore the outside, but it does reduce our inner values and emotional bondage to our ever-evolving state of appearance. As Esther 2 shows, beauty treatments are not a 21st century idea.12: “Before it was the young woman’s turn to enter King Xerxes, she had to undergo 12 months of cosmetic treatments prescribed for women, six months of which were performed with oil of myrrh and the remaining six months with perfumes and cosmetics.It’s okay to honor yourself and your Creator by taking care of yourself, but don’t let it become a source of vanity.
beauty has discretion
Humility is a beautiful way to protect yourself, but if you use it as a way to feel guilty or shame others, it can lead to a bad reputation. Keeping your heart, mind, and soul in the palms of Jesus will help lead you to a new perspective of how Jesus sees you. We are the light of the world, and we are called to shine like the light of the world. There is an interesting illustration in Proverbs 11:22.She is as ignorant and beautiful as a pig’s nose with a gold ring.“This shows the polarity of beauty versus indiscretion. It’s inspiring to harness the power behind women who look at how we dress, the words we choose in conversation, and understand the Biblical definition of true beauty.”
Unedited beauty
In the book of Eka, we hear the story of two people who are clearly in love and obsessed with each other. We don’t hear about their beauty in selfies or how their hair looks with vibrant, warm filters, but we read about their bodies the way they are. And as we see, the attraction they have for their partner is strong. In Song of Songs 1:15, “How beautiful you are, my love! Oh, how beautiful you are.”! Your eyes are doves. ” When was the last time you were so complimented?! Learn to say these true and lovely words to yourself and your loved ones and see what God will do for your self-esteem.
beauty of the times
My favorite Bible verse is: Ecclesiastes 3:11: “God has made everything beautiful for its time, and has set eternity in the hearts of men. But no one can understand what God has done from beginning to end.“Our desire for beauty, to be accepted, desired, pursued, and loved for who we are, all comes from God. He makes everything beautiful and appropriate for its time, including our lives. Our hearts know that this life is not our final home. The pain of seeking the beauty and glory of heaven is in our hearts. We are too human to understand all that God has done for us before, during, and after death, but we cannot see how beautiful everything is because God is the Creator. Orchestrator and Savior of us all. May our hearts continue to burn for Jesus, for heaven, and for the joys of this earth through the beauty of his works.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Lilly Roadstones
Mandy Smith started her blog ‘My Joyous Heart’ in 2011, began writing freelance in 2013 and is now the proud author of this blog. Almost there: A 30-day journey that puts tomorrow’s uncertainties ahead of today’s promises.. Mandy is single, currently works full-time as a speech therapist, and lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Communication in all its forms has always been a major part of Mandy’s life, both personally, professionally and spiritually. You can read more of her writing at: www.myjoyousheart.com and connect with her facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitterand YouTube.
