Which Women are Beautiful to God?

Long lashes, pouty lips, defined eyes, and rosy cheeks are where the world would have you believe your beauty is contained. Take a look at any fashion magazine, billboard, or television show. Advertisements and articles are telling you that you should aspire to look like girls and women who have been digitally buffed, air brushed, and elongated. Not only are you told to try and emulate these computer generated images, you are then told to look like that forever. Age defying, wrinkle and puffiness reducing serums are then brought into the mix so that we can be forever young. Take it from someone who spent most of her teen years studying Allure magazine and personally testing any and all serums, creams and eye enhancing shades; imitation is not possible. You will never be able to look like the Photoshop model du jour; and why try? God only created one of you. There is no need for comparisons.

Many of us spend too much time concerned about our perceived inferiority and not enough time glorying in our worth as a creature made in the image of God. Genesis 1:26 says, “And God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’” Psalm 8:3-5 says, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.” God thought so much of you that He made you in His image and crowned you with glory and honor. There is no need to desire to try to be Ms. America, fight over an earthly crown, and have someone else decide whether or not you are beautiful enough; you already have an eternal crown given to you by a loving and eternal God.

Have you ever noticed how people assume that the children of celebrities will look like them? Then the children are born and do not look anything like their parents! Not so with Christians. Our Father is beautiful and has made us in His image. Psalm 27:4 says, “One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple.” Have you ever considered the fact that God is beautiful? While the Bible is clear that no man has ever seen God (John 1:18) perhaps His beauty manifests itself in a different way. If we can figure out how God shows His beauty and we are made in His image, we ought to be able to show the same kind of beauty.

The word “beauty” is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “The quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest).” So no one has seen the Lord yet Psalm 27:4 says He is beautiful, and Webster’s Dictionary says one definition of beauty is a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest. God has to be the most beautiful being because He has the highest spiritual qualities. The question now is whose standard of beauty are you attempting to emulate?

The world and mass media would have us believe that only tall, thin, leggy, long-haired, and tanned women are beautiful, and if you do not fit into this extra-small box then there is something wrong with you. My friend, maybe, just maybe, if we take a step back from the looking glass we could clearly see that it is not we who are striving for the wrong definition of beauty but they. The latter part of 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Peter 3:3-4 says, “Do not let your adornment be merely outward arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” And there it is: God’s standard of beauty. The verse says that God’s beauty standard will grant you incorruptible beauty. Webster defines incorruptible as “That which will not dissolve, disintegrate, decay, etc.” That means if you emulate God’s standard of beauty you will be beautiful forever without the use of Botox or any other plastic surgeries.

So, you have decided you want to be beautiful forever and follow God’s standard rather than man’s because with the Lord it does not matter what we look like on the outside. Everyone can be beautiful like the Lord. With God as our example of beauty we could all walk around with paper bags on our heads and still be beautiful. But any beauty expert worth their salt will tell you that you need the right tools to obtain the look. So what tools would we need to be beautiful like God? Every look starts with a good base.                            

Foundation

Traditional foundation is used to mask or hide imperfections. If you find the right shade it will work brilliantly, and you will have flawless skin; that is until you wash your face at night. Once the foundation is removed your imperfections are clearly manifest on your face. It is not so with God’s foundation. God’s foundation is healing. It has the ability to remove imperfections permanently. You have no need for concealer with God’s foundation. It is not based on oils and powders; God’s foundation is based on love. In the same way expectant parents prepare a nursery before the baby is born, the Godhead prepared the world for us and on the sixth day created man to enjoy it. After man and woman sinned by eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, God went back to work to restore us to Him.  God sent Jesus, His only son, to die for us on the cruel cross of Calvary so that we might be able to have a home with Him in heaven. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

Before Jesus came there was no way to permanently remove sins. The priest would make a sacrifice every year, and the people’s sins would be rolled forward a year. They were without a way to get rid of the sins forever.  Hebrews 10: 1-4 says, “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices, there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” Later in that same chapter, verses 12 and 18 say, “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.”

Jesus walked this very earth teaching and preaching the kingdom of God. He laid down His life so that our souls could be taken up to heaven after death. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

Salvation through Jesus has nothing to do with sinner’s prayers or boxes to sit in and make confessions. In order to stand flawless before the Lord, you must obey His word. If you want your imperfections and the guilt associated with them removed, faith with obedience is necessary. The first thing you must do is hear the gospel preached. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”  Next you have to believe. Mark 15:16 says, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” After you believe you must repent of sins. Romans 3:23 says all have sinned and Acts 2:38 says, “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Once you have repented you need to confess the name of Jesus. Acts 8:36-37 says, “Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?’ Then Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’” As you can see from the last three, baptism is an integral part of salvation, and so we must all be baptized in order to be saved as it says in John 3:5. “Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Once you are baptized, you need only remain faithful and heaven is within your reach. 

This is God’s foundation loving us so much He gave His only Son to die for us when we least deserved it. He brings our spirits back to Him when sin separated us from His light. His foundation has the power to cleanse you of scars left behind by sins against yourself and others. God’s foundation of love is the base for the rest of your look. You cannot emulate God’s beauty without it. Love makes everyone look and feel beautiful. 1Peter 4:8 says, “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.

Once we put on God’s foundation, we can practice having gentle and quiet spirits by meditating on the word, using our talents in service for the Lord and letting our lights shine. Being kind and sweet natured to others and yourself, being friendly to people and especially those visiting the church. Restraining your speech is also another way to practice having the type of spirit that God finds precious. Take Esther for example. You read the second chapter of the book of Esther and find that these verses give us a glimpse at her spirit. Esther 2: 15-17 says, “Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her.  So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.”

Verse 15 shows us that Esther was able to heed instruction and take advice. It also says she found grace and favor in the king’s sight. This does not sound like she was talking loudly about all of the things she would do as queen or acting boisterously on her way to see the king. Remember Esther’s example and use her as a guide as you apply the foundation for a quiet and gentle spirit.

Blush

Jeremiah 6:13-15 says, “’Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely. They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ When there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time I punish them, they shall be cast down,’ says the LORD.” Unfortunately, this is the state of many girls and women today. They are given to covetousness, commit abominations, and have forgotten how to blush.

If we were to describe the state of women today based off of what is portrayed in mass media, we would all need to blush. Women have cast off the idea of being the weaker vessel in their pursuit of equality with men, and they have lost all shame. Girls on television are being wholly disrespectful to their parents while showing off their lavish bedrooms and super sweet sixteen birthday parties. At the same time, their mothers are physically and verbally assaulting their so called friends. Women have entire careers based on how many men they have slept with. They have no idea what it means to have a quiet and gentle spirit because it is all about them all of the time. And it is these women that society deems the most beautiful in the world. Are these displays God’s plan and desire for women? Have we removed God so far from the equation that now anything goes? 

Proverbs 12:4 says, “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.” Today’s woman has no sense of shame; she has forgotten how to blush.  Galatians 5:19-21 gives us a list of shameful acts that many people today simply overlook. Galalatians 5:19-21 say, “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” All of pop culture is made up of these. In all of our shows, movies, and music someone is having an angry outburst, full of jealousy, going out on revelries, and practicing selfish ambitions. None of these acts when played out in mass media are deemed beautiful by God.

The world uses artificial blush to make their cheeks rosy because they no longer have the ability to blush naturally. God’s blush comes from a sincere heart to learn and obey His word, to be able to set yourself apart for the Lord. God’s beauty standard is based on love and having a quiet and gentle spirit. The world’s standard is completely the opposite. Romans 1:28-32 gives us yet another list of shameful acts but adds a key piece at the end: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

The Bible is thorough. No one is off the hook. At the end of verse 32, it says that not only the people who do the deeds are worthy of death but also the ones who approve of their deeds. So for people who say that they personally are not homosexual but they do not see anything wrong with it, or for those who say they personally do not spread gossip but are quick to listen to it, I say beware. Let us not be named among the girls and women who have lost the ability to blush. Let us practice discernment and be able to see these actions for what they are: abominations. Let us not be counted among those who approve of things the Lord does not.

Eye Liner

We will finish off our look with a bit of eye-opening eyeliner. Did you know that if you have large eyes and you want to make them look smaller, you use eyeliner to line the top lid and if you have small eyes you want to appear larger, you line the bottom? But that is a beauty tip from man’s standard. With God’s standard of beauty, He opens our eyes in a completely different way. In Genesis 21 Hagar had just been sent away from the house of Abraham with her son Ishmael. She was tired and thirsty and had hidden her son away from her to perish. But the Lord came to her and spoke to her and in verses 18-20, He said, “Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.” The word of God is eye-opening. He opened Hagar’s eyes to see that He had not left her and had indeed provided salvation for her and her son.

In another instance God opened the eyes of Balaam. In Numbers 22 Balaam wanted to go with Balak to curse the Israelites after God had expressly told him no. Balak asked again and Balaam said he would see what more God had to say. As we all know, God is perfect. He has no more to say once He gives an answer. But Balaam went on with Balak anyway and was met by an Angel of the Lord. Numbers 22: 31-32 says, “Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. And the Angel of the LORD said to him, ‘Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me.’”

God opened Balaam’s eyes just in time to see the danger before him from which his donkey tried to save him. God’s word is also able to open our eyes to His truths and His true standard of beauty. True beauty has nothing to do with using eyeliner to make our eyes larger or smaller but with having our eyes exercised to discern. Hebrews 5:14 says, “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Let us make sure we have allowed God to open our eyes and that we have exercised them through different experiences and studying to be able to make accurate discernments between what is right and wrong.

Now that you know how to apply God’s makeup you can have incorruptible beauty. You can have a quiet and gentle spirit, which is precious to God. You can discern between what is good and evil no matter how pop culture tries to spin the actions. Know that even if you are having the worst hair day in the history of bad hair days, as long as you keep applying God’s standard of true beauty to your life you will find grace and favor in the eyes of everyone who sees you.