Are You Beautiful – Or Not?

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May I ask you a question? Okay, let me be more frank. May I ask you a personal question? Oh, please don’t worry. I won’t dig too deep. I”ll leave the digging to you, that is, whether you will dig and how far you will dig with my question. So here goes. If you had never seen another human, never read a book or magazine, or seen a television or movie, how would you define beautiful?

Okay, admittedly, it’s hard for me to ever ask a single question. So here goes with another. Get ready. Get set. Here it is. According to your definition of beautiful, are you beautiful? Or not? I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve never been asked these questions before. I can be a bit off the beaten track with my questions. But they’re intriguing, and challenging, questions, aren’t they?

And here’s what I’m thinking. I believe we’re so caught up in the world’s definition of beautiful, made by humans and constantly, continuously, reinforced and emphasized by humans (with great thanks to the media), that we have neglected to ask ourselves these questions. Or, at the very least, I would guess we have not given the questions as much thought and concern and care and diligence as perhaps we ought.

Here comes the question of all questions – on this subject anyway. What is beautiful in the eyes of the Lord? If you were to lay aside the world’s definition of beautiful, I wonder if you would have any definition of beautiful at all – with one exception. If you love God’s Word like I do, perhaps you have discovered like I am as I dig into it what God considers beautiful. How different His beautiful is from the world’s vision of beautiful!

Now this I wonder about any of us. Do we spend nearly as much time – if any – living our lives to be beautiful in the eyes of the Lord as we do working to be beautiful to the world – to a spouse, or significant other, our co-workers, the camera, our relatives, the party we’re attending, the interviewer, our fellow beach-goers, anyone at all, even our very selves when we stare in the mirror?

When was the last time you studied God’s Word with the desire to learn what pleases Him – and the desire, and commitment, to do it? If nobody else existed on this planet, would you desire to be beautiful for Him?

My own study of God’s Word leads me to believe He’s not concerned with my flabby stomach (yes, it’s flabby), my big nose (my mother claims I fell out of the baby carriage), the hair I can never get right or even close to it, my hand me down and thrift shop clothes, and definite shortfall in all and every sort of way according to the world’s definition of beauty.

God’s definition of beauty has to do with our hearts, our thoughts, our mouths, our actions. His definition, above all else, has to do with our love and worship of God our Father, our faith in Jesus and commitment to follow Him, and our dedication to learning to walk in His ways. Is this the world’s definition? Not even close.

I daresay we won’t be winning any beauty contests or awards – in the world’s eyes anyway – when our definition of beautiful becomes His. But at the end of the day, when our bodies are no more, we will stand before the most beautiful One of all. I don’t know about anyone else, but as much as I struggle with never measuring up or even coming close to the world’s idea of beautiful, I know in the deepest place in my heart I want to be beautiful to my first, and greatest, and forever, love. The Lord!

I never have been one to ask just a simple question, and rarely just two. Or even three. I can only hope my questions, and heart on this matter, will spur  you on to consider your definition of beauty and to make the Lord’s definition your own. Then, I pray, you would spend your life becoming, and being, beautiful for Him!

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7 ESV

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer selfd is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:1-2

Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. – 1 Peter 3:3-4

Please visit Walk by Faith Ministry at https://www.walkbyfaithministry.com.

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