God is the very essence of beauty. When we crave beauty, we crave God and the characteristics that make Him who He is. God gives His people the opportunity, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to reflect some of His attributes (e.g. holiness, love, mercy, and goodness). On the other hand, some of God’s attributes are reserved for Him alone. We bear the beautiful image of God well when we reflect the godly qualities given to us by the Spirit and rejoice in the qualities that are only true for God. The qualities that make up godly beauty have little to do with outward appearance and everything to do with the heart.
“The Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart”. 1 Samuel 16:7
God's Version of Beauty
We cannot physically touch or visibly see true beauty. Because God alone defines beauty, everything we deem “beautiful” based on man’s definition of beauty is a lie. Worldly claims for beauty are merely personal opinions prone to falsehood. Mankind’s pursuit of beauty is found in God alone. In order to draw His children to Himself, He gave man a natural yearning to behold and exude beauty. Anyone who does not know and cherish God’s beauty is left unsatisfied with the “beauties” of the world.“He alone is the All-Satisfying Object of Beauty. Only one vision will be sufficient for our insatiable hearts—the glory of God”. John Piper
Unbelievers exchange the truth about beauty for a lie. This lie costs them their life. Only those adopted into the Kingdom of God can find this beauty. The rest of the world is blinded by false gods. Christians experience real beauty while the world experiences a broken substitute.
God gives us a taste of genuine beauty when we become a Believer. We achieve flawlessness through faith in our merciful Savior. Once the Holy Spirit enters our heart, God lifts the veil from our eyes and Christ’s glory quenches our thirst for beauty. We now have the ability to behold the beauty of God’s glory.
“For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.” 2 Corinthians 3:14
So, our pursuit of beauty is really a pursuit for “the light of the gospel of the glory (or beauty) of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). We obtain the flawless, perfect beauty we so desperately crave by believing in the death and resurrection of Christ.
"And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18
Lasting Beauty
“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised”. Proverbs 31:30
Earthly beauty leads to fear of man, but the fear of God leads to lasting, unfading beauty of holiness. Spiritual beauty depends on the steadfast riches of God’s glory and righteousness. Since the world’s definition of beauty is based on outward appearance, it does not last. Women age, have babies, get wrinkles, loose hair, and gain weight. On the contrary, God’s beauty is timeless since it is based on the intangible, steadfast qualities of God. It is flawless and everlasting. It does not depend on anything we say or do! Godly women have a steadfast, lasting beauty that is not swayed by man's faulty opinion or attention.
The fear of the Lord, enjoying Him for all He is worth, must be the key dictator of our self-esteem. When people satisfy their desire for beauty in the splendor of the Lord’s majesty, they find lasting confidence, joy, security, and beauty in the Lord!
Grace By Faith Through Grace
For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s BEAUTY displayed in the face of Christ.
Once God lifts the veil from our eyes by grace through faith in Christ, we can behold and find happiness in the true beauty of God. The God-given craving for tangible beauty is satisfied only in Jesus. We can enjoy the limited beauty on earth (e.g. people, nature, moments, conversations) when we see them in relation to God’s ultimate beauty.
Furthermore, the more we become like Christ (i.e. sanctification), the perfect image of God, the more we radiate God’s beauty. All other earthly “beauties” or idols are rubbish compared to Christ. When we spend more time applying God’s Word rather than makeup, God blesses us with spiritual gifts that far outweigh man’s attention. The beauty of God’s holiness working in and through us satisfies our desire for beauty. When we worship God, enjoying Him, we reflect His beauty.
"The Beauty of Holiness needs no paint." Charles Spurgeon
Freedom from Insecurity and Vanity
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." 1 Timothy 6:17-19
God promises a joy-filled life based not on our weight, blemishes, or hair style but on our good deeds and generous hearts. Worldly beauty enslaves us to man’s opinion and their own self-esteem, but the beauty that comes from the Lord has not a hint of fear. Secular beauty finds security in the flesh while godly beauty finds security in the righteousness of God that is theirs in Christ Jesus. Outward appearance may make us feel confident for a season, but Christ-confidence fills us with steadfast joy and contentment.
Beauty Found in Christ
A life spent chasing after earthly beauty is a wasted, unhappy life. God made us to delight in His beauty and put it on display. When we savor God’s all-satisfying beauty, He delivers us from ourselves (i.e. greed, insecurity, vanity, pride) and delivers us to Himself. Rejoicing in God’s beauty rather than our own is not a burdensome task but a joy-producing lifestyle! When we stand in awe of God’s glory, power, and love, the things of this world (how the world looks or what the world thinks) fade in the light of God’s true beauty shining in and through us.
Our deepest desires for perfection are met by fulfilling God’s purpose for our life, to know and enjoy God’s beauty forever.
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