Compared to Who? a 10-Day Plan to Improve Your Body ImageSample

Pastor and author Tim Keller writes, "When an idol gets a grip on your heart, it spins out a whole set of false definitions of success and failure and happiness and sadness. It redefines reality in terms of itself."

So how do we know if we've made beauty an idol? It comes down to what we value. The term used in the Bible is "treasure." (Matthew 6:21) Jesus tells us that where our treasure is, there our hearts will also be. Is Jesus upset if you have a drawer full of cosmetics? I doubt it. But, God desires for our hearts to be free to pursue him alone. Chasing beauty can encumber and distract us from the real source of joy, life, and satisfaction. That is Jesus!

So, let me ask you. Where is your treasure?

What consumes the majority of your time and money?

What do you think about the most?

If someone were to analyze your Internet search history, what would it reveal about the pursuits of your heart?

1 Peter 3:3 teaches against an overemphasis on outward appearance. It's the type of chastisement Jesus gave the Pharisees who counted on their public actions (long prayers and lots of religious-sounding talk) to justify them before God. His warning: our physical appearance can't save us.

We miss the mark if we spend all of our time in the gym, spa, and department stores—to the exclusion of reading our Bible, spending time in fellowship with other believers, and praying and communing with our Savior. We may look good in some ways, but we miss cultivating the beauty of our hearts.

Have you ever met a woman you thought was gorgeous until she opened her mouth? Or, have you met a woman who you thought was plain at first glance, but then once you got to know her, you saw her true beauty? Peter wants us to remember this. Physical beauty doesn't ultimately make a woman beautiful. It's the beauty of her spirit. (1 Peter 3:2-6)

God created our bodies. There's no reason to be ashamed of what God called good. Peter isn't telling women they aren't valuable and should dress like slobs. Instead, he's encouraging humility and the cultivation of a deeper, longer-lasting type of beauty.

We miss the true treasure when we over-focus on our physical appearance.