The Beautiful Truth

Truth 1: God directs us to think kindly of our bodies because they are His craftsmanship.

The Psalmist¹ wrote, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place" (Psalm 139:14). In God's eyes each of our bodies was created beautifully. We need to be thankful for the body that He gave us, regardless of how it measures up to someone else's.

The prophet Isaiah warned against questioning God's creative abilities:

Does the clay say to the potter,
`What are you making?'
Does your work say,
`He has no hands'?
Woe to him who says to his father,
`What have you begotten?'
or to his mother,
`What have you brought to birth?'
(Isaiah 45:9-10)

 

This doesn't reduce the importance of caring for our bodies, such as maintaining a healthful weight or caring properly for our hair. It is good to nurture our bodies and to enhance the natural beauty we have been given. It is not good to compare our appearance with others, and as a result become vulnerable to envy and discontent.
 

 

Truth 2: In God's eyes, inner beauty is vastly more important than outward attractiveness.

True beauty is the fruit of an exemplary character, including such Holy Spirit inspired attributes as gentleness, a peaceful spirit, respect for others (especially for her husband if a woman is married), discretion in speech and action, and a proper attitude toward God. Consider the following verses:

Like a gold ring in a pig's snout
is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.
(Proverbs 11:22)

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
(Proverbs 31:30)

 

Your adornment must not be merely external--braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.
(1 Peter 3:3-4 NASV)

 

There are numerous examples of physically attractive women in the Bible: Sarah (Genesis 12:11); Rebekah (Genesis 24:16); Rachel (Genesis  29:17); Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:2); Tamar (2 Samuel 13:1); Vashti (Esther 1:11); and Esther (Esther 2:7). While the Bible makes factual statements about the above women's appearance, their characters are what determined whether or not they were considered truly beautiful: "Instead, [true beauty] 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. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful" (1 Peter 3:4,5a).

Truth 3: Proper attention should be given to outward appearance.

The Proverbs 31 woman had a quiet dignity, and did pay attention to her appearance: She was "clothed in fine linen and purple" (verse 22). 1 Timothy 2:9 encourages women to consider godly actions and attitudes to be indicators of true beauty; but at the same time, it asks them to pay proper attention to clothing choices by selecting modest and appropriate garments.

Healthy attention to your appearance has nothing to do with wrongful pride. It has everything to do with making a positive statement about you and your beliefs. You are, after all, a representative of your family, your church, and God. A clean, neat, feminine appearance demonstrates respect for the body that God gave you, appreciation for gender differences, and understanding of your God-given dignity. Most importantly, it provides non-Christians with a positive first impression of what it means to be a daughter of the Most High. Neglecting appearance under the mistaken belief that it is more righteous to focus solely on inner beauty, is false pride.

As Christian women, let's celebrate the body God gave us by caring for it properly, while keeping in mind the importance of true (inner) beauty.

 

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¹"The Psalmist" refers to ancient Israel's King David. He is believed to have written many of the poems included in the Biblical book of Psalms.