True Beauty
12 Oct 2010 Leave a Comment
in Beauty
What is true beauty? Beauty is an extremely popular topic in our society. Every girl wants to be beautiful. Whatever a girl’s definition of beauty is, she wants to fulfill it and feel beautiful. Unfortunately, most girls’ definition of beauty is shaped by what they see in magazines, on billboards, and on TV. This results in them having a very unrealistic view of beauty. They try to live up to this definition of beauty and either fall short of it, greatly damaging their self-image, or are able to attain their definition of beauty to their satisfaction, making them think of themselves as much better and more beautiful than they really are. Either way, true beauty is completely forgotten in an attempt to live up to the world’s superficial beauty.
Looking for a good definition of true beauty can be difficult. There are so many different ideas about the subject. Let’s take a look at some people’s thoughts on it.
A lot of emphasis is placed on the shallow, superficial form of beauty, as is shown in the quotes below. Sadly, heads are more often turned by mere outward beauty than by a girl’s character. Physically beautiful people will rarely be short of friends.
Beauty is a good letter of introduction.
–Portuguese Proverb
Beauty is everywhere a welcome guest.
–Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
Personal beauty is a greater recommendation than any letter of reference.
–Aristotle
Even though outward beauty is highly praised, many people think that to be truly beautiful, a girl has to have more than outward looks. They have different ideas about what exactly it is that completes beauty, but all these people agree that physical beauty alone is not beauty.
Beauties in vain their pretty eyes may roll; charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul.
—Alexander Pope
Beauty, unaccompanied by virtue, is as a flower without perfume.
– French Proverb
How goodness heightens beauty!
–Hannah More
There are no better cosmetics than a severe temperance and purity, modesty and humility, a gracious temper and calmness of spirit; and there is no true beauty without the signatures of these graces in the very countenance.
–John Ray
There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness.
–Marguerite Gardiner Blessington
Taking joy in living is a woman’s best cosmetic.
– Rosalind Russell
Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.
– Kahlil Gibran
There are a few people who even seem to believe that beauty is evil. Socrates said, “Beauty is a short-lived tyranny.” Others view beauty as not necessarily evil, but not exactly good and see it as something that is very short-lived.
Beauty is but a vain and doubtful good; a shining gloss that fadeth suddenly; a flower that dies when it begins to bud; a doubtful good, a gloss, a glass, a flower, lost, faded, broken, dead within an hour. –
–William Shakespeare
Remember if you marry for beauty, thou bindest thyself all thy life for that which perchance, will neither last nor please thee one year: and when thou hast it, it will be to thee of no price at all.
–Sir Walter Raleigh
Some people admit that beauty is only ‘skin deep’ but at the same time think that beauty is a great asset. They know physical beauty is not everything, but they also know that it can be very useful.
Beauty is an outward gift, which is seldom despised, except by those to whom it has been refused.
–Edward Gibbon
Beauty is only skin deep, but it’s a valuable asset if you’re poor or haven’t any sense.
–Kin Hubbard
It is better to be beautiful than to be good, but it is better to be good than to be ugly.
–Oscar Wilde
Then there are the people who believe that a girl can make herself more beautiful and by ‘beautiful’ they don’t mean just physical. By going through trials or by improving a character trait, they believe a woman can enhance her beauty.
Pretty is something you’re born with. But beautiful, that’s an equal opportunity adjective.
– Author Unknown
The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.
– Elizabeth Kubler Ross
You can take no credit for beauty at sixteen. But if you are beautiful at sixty, it will be your soul’s own doing.
– Marie Stopes
But these are not the only views on beauty. Here are others’ thoughts on the topic:
Trust not too much to an enchanting face.
–Virgil
Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.
– Confucius
The difference between pretty and beautiful is-pretty is temporal-whereas beautiful is eternal.
– Author Unknown
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you NOT to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won’t feel unsure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. As we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
– Marianne Williamson
With all these different ideas about beauty, how are we supposed to get a good definition of it? Some of these definitions we might agree with. Some we might think totally wrong. But what should we base our definition of beauty on? Well, if we are Christians, before we look anywhere else, we should look at what the Bible has to say. Instead of letting other peoples’ ideas influence our own, we should make sure our ideas match up with God’s Word.
Our society’s view of beauty is so warped. I believe one of the reasons girls get into bad relationships is because they are trying to prove to themselves that they are beautiful. See, we equate physical beauty with worth and when a girl doesn’t feel beautiful, she thinks she is worth less. And when her view of beauty is the unachievable view the media gives her of unrealistically gorgeous models, how can she ever hope to reach a point where she considers herself beautiful? I think it’s time girls realized what true beauty really is so that they realize they are beautiful.
So, let’s take a look at what the Bible says about beauty. First of all, God is not as concerned with the outward looks as He is about the heart. We too, should pay more attention to inward beauty than to outward beauty.
I Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
The apostle Peter explained to the women in the church, that not only does a good character complete physical beauty, it is more important.
1 Peter 3:3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
God’s Word never says that beauty is evil. The Lord created beauty. But physical beauty should not be used for evil. The whole Bible, but especially the book of Proverbs, denounces men and women who use their physical beauty to seduce others. But it also makes it clear that not everyone who is physically beautiful uses their beauty for evil. Queen Esther was very beautiful, beautiful enough to be chosen queen from hundreds of other women. She used her position to accomplish good instead of using her beauty for wrong purposes. Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was another woman who didn’t flaunt her beauty.
I have had many girls tell me that they aren’t beautiful but God believes every person He made is special. He carefully created each person. God doesn’t make mistakes. Would you tell a painter that the painting he has spent months creating is ugly? No, of course not. Even if it was, it would be a huge insult to him. Unlike a human painter, God never makes anything ugly. For a girl to say she is ugly is like insulting God’s craftsmanship. Just because you don’t look like the supermodel in the magazine does not mean you are ugly. God created you and He thinks you are beautiful.
Psalm 139:13-14 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Physical beauty will not last. The Bible is very clear on that point and we know this is true. Beautiful young girls become wrinkled old women. That is why we need to have a truer view of beauty. True beauty never grows old. It can only grow more brilliant as we develop it.
Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
This true beauty isn’t about what we look like. It’s about who we are and what we do. Notice what Jesus says here:
Matthew 26:10-11Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.
Notice how He said “a beautiful thing”? This woman had true beauty because she was serving Jesus. Through her actions she was bring glory to Him. Her character was beautiful and when a girl’s character is beautiful, it shines through and makes all of her beautiful. That’s the kind of beauty that lasts. That’s the kind of beauty that matters.
So, after all these quotes here’s my own to sum up this very lengthy post:
Forget what the media tells you. Beauty really isn’t about your complexion, your hair, your lips, your eyes or your figure. True beauty is about your character and about being a reflection of Jesus.
nataliecorder
