31 Days - What is Beauty?

My friend is doing a series on her blog that consists of 31 days of blogging on different topics related to the passage Proverbs 31. Sounded interesting to me so I'm joining the fun!


The first question is what is beauty to you? To me....


...beauty is subjective and objective. A person might be beautiful to one person and not beautiful to the next.  But there are also absolute truths about beauty that are not subject to opinion. For example:


"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!" Romans 10:15


That is not subject to opinion. It is an absolute truth that the feet of those who bring good news are beautiful.


Although outward appearance is subjective, it is not ignored in the bible. Multiple people were described as being physically beautiful:


Rebecca; Genesis 24:16
Sarai; Genesis 12:11, 14
Esther; Esther 2:2-4, 7-9, 17


But while beauty is described and acknowledged, it is only a physical attribute, and it is not related whatsoever to worth as we commonly confuse in today's culture. Outward beauty holds the same weight as being wealthy does:


It's temporary. 
("...beauty is fleeting"; Proverbs 31:3)
It holds no eternal value. 
("Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."; 1 Peter 3:3-4)


Notice that not everybody in the bible is followed up with the description of being beautiful - outwardly that is.  Sometimes we feel a lack of worth because we are like the biblical character with no mention of physical beauty in their description. But outward beauty holds as much weight to God as worldly riches do - none! It doesn't hold any worth to God when he looks upon his children:


"But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7


So overall, outward beauty is a neutral matter - not bad, not good. It's okay to appreciate it because at it's core it is not bad. We make it bad when we place it at a higher value than it really is.




But inward beauty.... that is to be praised!


"Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Proverbs 31:3


The beauty that I'm after is the objective beauty. The beauty that cannot be taken away or torn down by anybody's opinion. Yes I strive for outward beauty as well, and that's okay as long as I don't make it my idol (which is tough!). My beauty and identity rests in Christ because He is in me. Because of Christ God can look upon me and see inward beauty. Apart from Christ there is no beauty in me.


So what is true, unchanging, objective beauty?


Jesus Christ.


"For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.


So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Romans 7:18-25