God's MasterpieceНамуна

The True Beauty From Within

In today’s world, there are so many things that influence our worth, value, beauty and appearance. We tend to be influenced by social media, celebrities and influencers that define what beauty is and what it is not through their lens. From how we should look, the type of clothing we should wear, the type of body shape we should have, to the cosmetic procedures we should get. These are beauty standards that the world offers, causing people like you and I to question our worth and beauty.

Beauty is defined as a combination of qualities such as shape, color, form that is pleasing or attractive to the eye. Our outer appearance is important. It's ok to look our best, beautify ourselves, and maintain ourselves in a presentable way. But it is our inner beauty that holds great value and produces our outer beauty. 1 Peter 3:3-4 urges us that “your beauty should not come from outward adornment but rather of your inner self the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is of great worth in God’s sight.” The Bible tells us that our beauty is not defined by our clothes, accessories, hair, or how we look, but by our inner beauty, who we are; the intentions of the heart.

In 1 Samuel 16:7, the Bible states that “the Lord does not look at the things man looks at. A man looks at the outer appearance but the Lord looks at the heart.” Beauty is skin deep. Someone’s outer beauty or physical attractiveness is not as important as the person's heart or inner qualities. Regardless of how gorgeous or attractive you are on the outside, if you exhibit characteristics that are ungodly, you lack the true beauty of God.

The true beauty of God is reflecting the image of Christ in our character. Jesus Himself is a beautiful being. During His time on earth, He exemplified characteristics of obedience, compassion, humility, and love onto others. In Isaiah 53:2, the Bible says “… He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance we should desire.” But it was the purity and intentions of His heart that made Him beautiful. You and I must imitate that same likeness and beauty and project it onto others.

God is the source and creator of beauty. So His standards, opinions, and thoughts of beauty are what matters and should triumph over any opinions and standards of the world. Your inner beauty is your true beauty and what endures. The Bible says "charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain but a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised." Beauty fades away, but a godly woman who fears and loves the Lord, who is full of faith, who is obedient is pleasing to the eyes of God. We do not need the stamp of approval from the world or seek to please the eyes of man and society because God has already declared and intended for us to be beautiful when He created us in His image.

I want you to take time to think of the kind of beauty you want to reflect in this world. Take a look in the mirror and as you look at yourself in the mirror, ask yourself if you are an image-bearer of Christ. Are you reflecting His true beauty?

It should be our prayer that when people see us, they may see the glory, the light, the love of Jesus Christ in us that draws them to develop a relationship with Him, to accept Him, and be a part of His Kingdom. I believe that God wants those who have been saved by His grace to reflect that true and imperishable beauty from within through how we live and with a pure and pleasing heart.