Am I Beautiful?

Mark Dunagan
11/09/08 - Sunday Morning

 

We live in a world where people are concerned about whether or not others view them as being attractive, and from various verses we can tell that this has always been the case. In the New Testament Christian women are warned about the danger of putting too much emphasis on outward adornment of the human body (1 Peter 3:4). Solomon equally warns young men about the dangers of false beauty (Proverbs 11:22). In addition, the Bible recognizes that the human body that God designed can be very beautiful, for various individuals in the Bible are spoken of as being attractive, handsome or “beautiful” (Genesis 29:17; Deuteronomy 21:11; 2 Samuel 11:2; Esther 2:7).

 

What can Spoil Beauty?

 

“As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion” (Proverbs 11:2). This woman is far more than just disappointing, she is a monstrosity. True beauty isn’t skin deep, and physical beauty has been completely wasted on a woman or man who rejects God’s standard of morality. A person’s physical beauty can’t make up for or hide their lack of good moral judgment. “Outward female beauty with indiscreet conduct is valueless and morally ugly” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 931). Her husband may think that her looks by far make up for whatever bad judgment that she lacks, but being married to a fool, even a beautiful one gets really old after a while (Proverbs 12:4). Thus, the following moral flaws (lack of discretion) can mar whatever beauty one has:

 

• Dishonesty

• Anger issues

• Selfishness

• Sexual unfaithfulness

• Lack of self control of one’s tongue

• Financial irresponsibility

• Dishonor toward parents or loved ones

• Vindictiveness

• Arrogance

• Rebelliousness

 

Saul and Absalom

 

These men positioned on either side of David, one during his youth and the other during his later years, had much in common:

 

• Both were handsome men (1 Samuel 9:2; 2 Samuel 14:25)

• Both hated David

• Both were self-absorbed and were willing to sacrifice everything in order to stay in power or achieve it

• Both refused to repent

• And both came to a miserable end

 

The text may say that Saul or Absalom were handsome—in fact, handsome without equal, yet after one reads about them—they are very ugly men, and the fact that others found them attractive isn’t impressive at all.

 

What Is Beautiful

 

• “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised” (Proverbs 31:30).

 

Such a woman is very attractive because her respect for God and His laws makes her completely dependable and trustworthy. This woman will never do anything to hurt her husband (31:11), neither will she ignore him, or put him at the end of her priorities. In fact, as time passes, and as others age, this woman becomes more attractive. What I have observed in my life time is that as sinners often age they become haggard and less active, and as Christians age they often become younger looking and more active. A woman of the world often might look weathered or worn out, while the Christian woman looks fresh and full of life.

 

• “But rather by means of good works, as befits women making a claim to godliness” (1 Timothy 2:10).

 

Serving others, being kind, unselfish and happy to help makes a person beautiful and enjoyable to be around. Again, such a person, whether man or woman, seems to have more energy than the person who is simply living for themselves and they are happier as well. It is enjoyable to be around someone who is content with what they have (Philippians 4:11) and who can find deep joy in helping someone. It is certainly no fun to be around someone or in a relationship with someone who demands that others provide for them a constant steam of entertainment.

 

• “But let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is previous in the sight of God”

 

There are attitudes that definitely enhance of person’s beauty, including such attributes as:

 

• Gratitude

• Humility

• Patience

• Sympathetic

• Kind

• Confident in God

• Submissive to the will of God

 

Principles of Beauty

 

1. I will probably never be beautiful according to the world’s standard

 

And that is just fine, in fact, I do not want to fit the world’s standard because such a standard is always changing, and all the emphasis is on the human body, a standard that even the “beautiful people” cannot sustain. Solomon, who had seen it all, and who had many beautiful women, said, “charm is deceitful and beauty is vain” (Proverbs 31:30). Physical appearance is not necessarily dismissed; rather it simply does not endure, as do those qualities that the fear of the Lord produces. “Beauty is deceitful, and one who pursues beauty may very well be disappointed by the character of the ‘beautiful’ person” (Gaebelein p. 1133). “She may be charming as well as beautiful, but her real beauty rests in her total commitment to God” (Alden p. 222).

 

2. The most beautiful person who ever lived was Jesus Christ

 

Psalm 45 is a Messianic psalm; verses 6-7 are quoted in Hebrews 1:8 and applied to Jesus. The verse I want to address is 45:2, which reads, “Thou art fairer than the sons of men”. Yet this one who is called “fairer than the sons of men” was not necessarily handsome (see Isaiah 53:2 “Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him”). We should strive for this enduring beauty.

 

3. I can be truly beautiful in the same say that Jesus is

 

“For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation” (Psalm 149:4). There are many other passages that teach the same truth; that in being a Christian God is giving me a chance to become beautiful like His Son.

• I am allowed to put on Christ in baptism (Galatians 3:27).

• I can put on the new man, which is created in the image of Jesus (Colossians 3:1-13).

• As we grow as Christians and study God’s word we are going through a transformation process, where we are becoming more and more like Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).

• At the resurrection, Christ will clothe every believer with a new and glorious body (Philippians 3:20-21).

 

Would You Like to Be This Beautiful?

 

 

Everyone is drawn to you John 12:32

 

Women adore you Luke 7:37-38

John 12:3

John 20:16-17

 

Men are ready to die for you John 11:16

Luke 22:33

 

People who have not even met

you, love you 1 Peter 1:8

 

 

Conclusion

 

The above is an impressive list, one to which many famous and attractive people cannot measure up. How many people would be willing to die for their favorite celebrity? As I close this lesson I also want us to think about how many famous people who have died are currently frustrated that people still spend too much time thinking about them. I was thinking about this the other day as I was listening to the radio. A song was playing in which I knew that the person it was written about and the person who sang it both had been dead for decades. As I was listening to it I wondered what the singer would say to me today if he was still alive and I imagined him saying something like, “Stop listening so much to that dumb song I wrote and spend more of your precious time listening to God!” (See Luke 16:27-28)