What does the Bible say about appearance and beauty
Fashion and appearance reign supreme today. People are told that they are not beautiful enough, so why not try botox or plastic surgery as their role models? The Bible tells us that we must take a different approach to appearance rather than adapt to society's idea of beauty.
What God finds important
God does not focus on our external appearance. It is what is inside that matters most to Him. The Bible tells us that God's attention is on the development of our inner beauty so that it can be reflected in everything we do and what we are.
1 Samuel 16: 7 - “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. A man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. " (NIV)
James 1:23 - "Anyone who hears the word but does not do what he says is like a man looking at his face in a mirror." (NIV)
But reliable people look good
Do they always do it? Outward appearance is not the best way to judge how "good" a person is. An example is Ted Bundy. He was a very handsome man who, in the 70s, had killed one woman after another before being captured. He was an effective serial killer because he was very charming and personable. People like Ted Bundy remind us that what's on the outside doesn't always match on the inside.
More importantly, look at Jesus. Here is the Son of God come to Earth like a man. Do people recognize his outward appearance as anything but a man? No. Instead, he was hung on a cross and died. His own people did not look beyond the outward appearance to see His inner beauty and holiness.
Matthew 23:28 - "Externally you look like a righteous person, but internally your hearts are full of hypocrisy and illegality." (NLT)
Matthew 7:20 - "Yes, just as you can identify a tree from its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions." (NLT)
So, is it important to look good?
Unfortunately, we live in a superficial world where people judge by appearance. We would all like to say that we are not in the majority and that we all look beyond what is outside, but practically all of us are influenced by appearances.
However, we must keep the appearance in perspective. The Bible tells us that it is important to present ourselves as well as possible, but God does not call us to go to extremes. It is important to stay aware of why we do the things we do to look good. Ask yourself two questions:
Does your attention to your appearance take your eyes off the Lord?
Are you more focused on your weight, your clothes or your makeup than you are of God?
If you answered "Yes" to either question, you may need to take a closer look at your priorities. The Bible tells us to look more closely at our hearts and actions than at our presentation and appearance.
Colossians 3:17 - "Whatever you say or do, it should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, for you give thanks to God the Father thanks to him." (CEV)
Proverbs 31:30 - "The enchantment may be deceptive and beauty vanishes, but a woman who honors the Lord deserves to be praised." (CEV)