From the beginning of time, Satan has made things that are potentially dangerous or unnecessary look appealing. In Genesis 3: 6, Eve was drawn to the apple and Satan tempted her to do the unthinkable. The Bible states that Eve saw that the apple “was pleasing to the eye and desirable for gaining wisdom.” (NIV) This means it was attractive and she wanted what it offered.
God made the fruit beautiful, and with a purpose. It wasn’t wrong of Eve to enjoy its beauty. The problem was that Eve was physically drawn to it and made her desire for the fruit more important than trusting the Lord and obeying His command of not eating the fruit. She believed Satan more than her creator. After she took a bite, her eyes were opened, and she saw herself (and her husband) differently. They became self-conscious and ashamed of their bodies – their physical appearance.
Attraction of Physical Appearance
Mankind continues to struggle with placing unnecessary importance on physical appearance. This leaves us feeling empty as we hopelessly pursue an intangible goal. Our lives and actions demonstrate what we believe. If we believe that physical beauty is important, then we’ll begin to act as if it is important, which will have an impact on our lives. When we focus more on what we think is important rather than what God has called us to focus on, then we’re led to a life of inadequacy. The feeling of inadequacy pulls us toward unfulfilling choices which result in a form of bondage. There’s a long list of attitudes and behaviors of bondage that are rooted in a false view of beauty:
- Comparison
- Envy
- Competition
- Promiscuity
- Sexual addiction
- Eating disorders
- Immodest dress
- Flirtatious behavior
Biblical Beauty
Only the truth about God’s beauty can set us free from such bondage.
“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
Proverbs 31:30
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, 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
“I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.”
1 Timothy 2:9-10
These scriptures say nothing about physical beauty being a sin. It’s not wrong to pay attention to our outward appearance. The Bible doesn’t suggest that our outward appearance doesn’t matter. What’s criticized is taking pride in God-given beauty, placing excess attention on physical beauty, and focusing more on physical appearance than the condition and character of the heart. God teaches us that there is a balance between the behavior of a woman and her outer appearance which stems from the beauty of her heart.
Accurate Approach
In order to reflect God’s beauty, excellence and grace on the outside, we must accept it in our own personal lives. We must understand that we’re daughters of a King. We were created as beautiful women by the same creator who established the entire universe and all its marvels. We are lovely. Don’t think, dress or act like the world. Instead, dress, think and act like charming women who possess something incredibly precious – the Spirit of the Living God. When we are able to understand our personal identity in Christ, then we can reflect that beauty on the outside.
A woman’s look should be simple, pure, orderly and clean. The Bible does tell us that we should be well dressed and physically fit (Proverbs 31). Our appearance is a reflection of our relationship with the Lord. It should not be a distraction, extravagant or indecent. We should never do anything to intentionally hasten our physical decline either. But, we do need to accept the reality that we live in a fallen world, so as we grow older, our bodies will begin to decay. This doesn’t mean that we can hide behind products that reverse the process that naturally comes to us as we walk this earth. As we grow older, our body should reflect that age and wisdom. We should continuously focus on the things that God says matter most. It is possible to become filled with more abundance in life and beauty even as our bodies decay.
Lasting Beauty
If we devote our time and energy to staying fit, trim, glamorous and youthful looking, like the majority of the people with whom we base our definition of beauty, we may possibly achieve our desired objective. But, if we spend all our time focusing on the external beauty of our bodies, and neglect cultivating our inner beauty, character and natural radiance that comes from the Lord, we will experience major loss as well as regret. So, pursue what lasts forever, rather than the fleeting and intangible ideals of a fallen society.
