Beauty Of The Heart

I read an article the other day that broke my heart (you can read it HERE). Young girls nationwide are on a viral beauty trend of trying to prevent aging. Using products not intended for young skin, they’re damaging their skin by trying to avoid something natural and beautiful in its own right. Aging. One girl interviewed said it’s not just about having perfect skin, “It’s about feeling accepted and belonging to a community that has the lifestyle and look you want.”  Unfortunately, many young girls don’t think this way, placing too much pressure on themselves to look like all the celebrity women they admire. Following their beauty advice and the products they promote. Speaking to the deep-seated desire to be beautiful, these influencers are taking a natural feminine desire and focusing our young girl’s attention to view outward beauty as more significant than inward beauty. But the Bible speaks differently on this matter.

At what age is a female considered beautiful? From infancy? Adolescence? Young adulthood? And what exactly is feminine beauty? In searching the scriptures, here’s what I found:

Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female.” HCSB

1 Samuel 16:7 ” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”

Psalm 139:14 “I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well.” HCSB

Proverbs 31:30 “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.”

Song of Solomon 4:7 “You are absolutely beautiful, my darling, with no imperfection in you.” HSCB

1 Peter 3:3-4 “Your beauty should not consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold ornaments or fine clothes. Instead, it should consist of what is inside the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very valuable in God’s eyes.”

Perhaps beauty isn’t so much what’s on the outside as what’s on the inside. Perhaps beauty is there from birth, all the way through death. What if we taught our young girls that attaining beauty involves character construction and integrity building? Maybe working more on the inner Christ-like qualities, like love, patience, kindness, gentleness, forgiveness, and grace can have more of a beautifying effect than a $50 face cream sold at a beauty store. And not just for the young girls of our generation. But what if that truth is for all of us as well, men and women, young and old?

Prayer: Lord God, who is more beautiful than You? Possessing all the beautiful qualities of a Good Father, Faithful Husband, Valiant King, and Merciful Savior. We ask one thing from You, Lord: to dwell in the house of the Lord forever,  gazing on Your beauty, seeking You in Your temple. We ask that You strengthen the hearts of our young girls to seek their beauty in You – the giver of all things. And help us as parents to instill this truth in our children. In Your beautiful name, Amen.

Action: If you have a young daughter, spend some time alone with her and tell her how beautiful she is. But don’t mention anything physical. List only the inner qualities that make her beautiful. Her kind heart, how generous she is, how quick she is to share, how willing she is to help, the loving words she speaks to her siblings, the obedience she shows her parents. Find some things to commend and remind her that God views beauty from the heart, not from physical features. A girl can have a pretty face, but if she has a mean spirit, it can make her look ugly. (see Proverbs 11:22)