The Hard Truth About Beauty

As much of my inspiration comes from Facebook, a friend's status post has tugged at my heart all week...she wrote "When I feel crappy, I like to look through old pics in which I look awesome. I look into those eyes and say, "Oh. There you are." Not into the made-up face or the beautiful skirt, but into those confident eyes that say, "I am awesome." That is why I think every adult woman needs beautiful photos." 

Beauty.
Everyone talks about it.  We are constantly bombarded with everything from laser hair removal to clothes to makeup to weight loss to hair color...it never ends!  Recently, Dove put out a new Real Beauty campaign where they brought in a sketch artist and had him blindly sketch women based on their verbal descriptions of themselves.  Then, after the women had met up in pairs, the artist did another blind sketch based on the verbal descriptions of each other.  The results were astonishing and truly show how differently we see ourselves versus how others see us. 
If you've got a few minutes, watch this video for yourself.



My heart goes out to these women and more importantly to my Facebook friend - who, even though she was raised in church, still equates her beauty with what she does or doesn't see in the mirror.  It seems like everywhere I turn this week Beauty is rearing its ugly head, and all the while, I keep thinking of this verse:
Proverbs 31:30
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. 
I began to research the word Beauty used in this verse and it turns out the Hebrew word used here is yophiy - which means spendour, brightness, beauty, gracefulness; this word is used 19 times in the Old Testament.  It is interesting to note that only 1 of these verses depicts Beauty in a positive light with regards to a woman's beauty...all of the other verses are either describing God, a prophecy or lust.

After a little more research, the word Beauty shows up 49 times in the Old Testament and is translated from a total of 20 different Hebrew words.  One of the other words translated as Beauty caught my eye:  Chamad (to desire, covet, to take pleasure in, delight in)
Psalms 39:11
When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth; surely every man is vanity.  Selah.

This particular word appears 21 times in the Old Testament and has also been transalated as:  pleasant, desire, covet, delight, delectable and lust.  After reading that list, the kind of outward beauty most people desire just doesn't look so good.  The Word tells us in Romans 12:2

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

 

Just the fact that this verse exists tells me we are to see Beauty differently; we should not be caught up by the standards of this world.  Every human body is aging and dying and society's definition of Beauty is fleeting.  The US alone spends over 7 Billion dollars on cosmetics annually in addition to the over 12 million cosmetic procedures performed each year.  To base the majority of our selfworth on outer Beauty is sheer madness! 

 

Several years ago the YMCA published an eye opening document on The Consequences of America's Beauty Obsession on Women and Girls; it's definitely worth a read. 

 

If I am not defined by outer Beauty, what defines me?  If you are a child of God, he's got an entire New Testament filled with what He says you are!  So, who does God say I am?

 

• I am a child of God.

But to all who have received him--those who believe in his name--he has given the right to become God's children … (John 1:12).

• I have been justified and redeemed.

But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24).

• I have been set free from the law of sin and death.

For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).

• In Christ Jesus, I have wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption … (1 Corinthians 1:30).

• I am a new creature in Christ.

So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away--look, what is new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17)!

• I am no longer a slave, but a child and an heir.

So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if you are a son, then you are also an heir through God (Galatians 4:7).

• I have been set free in Christ.

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1).

• I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

• My life is hidden with Christ in God.

… For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).

• God loves me and has chosen me.

We know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you … (1 Thessalonians 1:4).

The more we embrace these truths from Scripture about who we have become in Christ, the more stable, grateful, and fully assured we will be in this world.

 

 

Need more convincing???  Check out the whole list!

 

It is my hope and prayer that women around the world learn who they are in God and who He has made them to be...only then will they know true Beauty from the inside out.  If you have taken the time to read this blog, just know that I will be praying for you too :)  Goodnight, sweet friends!