Returning to social media has me pondering Christian beauty—what it is and is not. I am in no way attempting to make anyone feel bad in this post, but I hope to prompt some contemplation about Christian beauty definitions – as a notion.
Here is the truth.
If you grew up outside of a Christian home and lacked the influence of Godly women, your understanding of beauty might be fundamentally flawed.
It might be just plain jacked up.
You well know the world sees beauty in very narrow ways.
I think they define beauty as conforming to specific standards, often dictated by societal norms, media portrayals, and cultural expectations.
The problem with those standards is they don’t expand far enough to have any spiritual worth.
Plus, they are centered on what is temporary (i.e., looks), which could make women feel ugly should something change about them physically.
After gaining lots of weight, I’m struggling with that right now. I feel so insecure with this extra weight. Soon, I’ll write about my journey to dump it.
I’ve discovered my sense of beauty is far too hinged on the wrong thing – my outer appearance.
Let’s re-calibrate ourselves with this blog post. I know I hope to.
Ok. I want to use this article to explore the concept of what Christian beauty means through scripture and real-life examples.
My Table of Contents
Why should we, as Christians, have a different perspective on beauty?
This is a good question.
Christian women will define beauty differently than women in the world.
By “world,” I mean the “Cosmos” or the unsaved majority living on earth.
Surely, Christian women have a different source of truth regarding beauty.
Our source of truth is Christ.
We, as Christian women, use Christian values to define beauty, not magazines or Hollywood, as we believe true beauty transcends superficial standards.
It correlates to inner qualities of kindness, compassion, and integrity.
1 Samuel 16:7 says it clearly for us – “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
It’s about your heart.
In a world that often idolizes fleeting trends and unattainable ideals, we can fall for the okey-doke if not careful.
Tons of beauty creams, expensive makeup, weight-loss obsession, and clothes we can’t afford can be our trappings all because we are chasing the exterior definition of beauty.
Instead, let’s work to pursue the enduring virtues exemplified by the Christian faith.
Let’s decide that right now.
This means we will esteem genuine beauty – the real Christian beauty stems from a heart aligned with Jesus Christ.
It’s not about outfits on Facebook or makeup on Instagram.
What is the beauty of a Christian woman?
Let’s talk about Christian beauty a bit.
Christian beauty transcends superficial attributes. It’s not about long, thick hair (which is mainly applied and not grown these days—ask me how I know!) or about a specific size.
1 Peter 3:3-4
3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.
We, myself included, place entirely too much emphasis on how we look.
As a makeup and clothes junkie, I’ve gotten way out of balance.
Age is changing that, altering my perspective on Christian beauty, too.
I’m learning the exterior is fleeting.
It will change. So, while I’m still fly and looking good for an old lady (hehe), I need to continue cultivating the Godly characteristics that will make me beautiful long after I’m gone.
I want my descendants to hear that I was kind and loved God.
Sort of like my grandma.
The most beautiful woman I’ve known
No one was more beautiful than my maternal grandmother. Physically, she had smooth, peaches-and-cream skin well into her 100th year.
Her ethnic background was fascinating.
She descended from a White man named Wiley M. Pope. He was a slave owner who fell in love with a slave girl named Lucy.
He was my second great-grandfather.
Theirs was a love story. My grandmother told me the story in loving ways. They stayed together for years and years.
He married her (not legally—because that was impossible for a White man and a Black slave). Anyway, they had many children and moved to Quindaro, Kansas. (“Wiley Pope and Judge Chadwick,” 1900).
Here is a newspaper article about their amazing story.
I’m sharing this to explain a bit about why she looked the way she looked. Plus, I’m a little proud of their story.
Anyway, I always marveled at how beautiful my grandma was.
But her true Christian beauty stemmed from her heart for Jesus.
She came to know Him in her early teens and never looked back.
Let me tell you, that she relentlessly pursued Jesus, prayed incessantly, studied God’s Word, and was kind to everyone she encountered.
To this day, people remark how sweet and loving she was. What a testament to Christian beauty, right?
How lucky I was to live with her and see her beautiful attributes up close and personally.
It happened because my mom moved us to live with her after my grandfather passed.
After he went to be with the Lord, Grandma was so hurt. They had been married for over fifty years, but she persevered.
She kept moving.
She healed.
Wow! She’s teaching me a lesson today!
That is a lesson for me as I type this.
Losing my mom and brother has prompted me to pause and stop my life in many ways.
Life without them is grim, so I’ve allowed the gloom to have far too much power.
Do you know what I mean?
Has grief ever knocked you on your butt?
Reflecting on my grandmother in this moment reminds me that Christian beauty is laden with the ability to recover from life’s trials.
Yeah, that’s what Christian beauty should look like; it should encompass resilience, kindness, and authenticity, reminding us that what is beautiful can often be found in how we deal with life’s tribulations.
Wow. Selah.
Christian beauty is not about a perfectly filtered photo.
If you view photos on Instagram, you see many of them are filtered to render them flawless. In fact, my iPhone did the same with me a few days ago! It automatically added a filter.
Get outta here. The funny thing is, I couldn’t figure out how to change it.
Nevertheless, Christian beauty is not about lawlessness. I think the opposite.
It is about accepting our flaws and maximizing them for God’s Kingdom.
If you’ve read my articles, you know I like to share my struggles of jealousy, frustration, and shortcomings.
Back when I was a younger Christian, I used to hide those things because I thought Christians should be perfect – or give the illusion of perfection.
Please!
We are ALL broken people redeemed by God’s love, grace, and changing power.
This means I have no problem sharing my struggles with grief or whatever is going on.
I think that’s Christian beauty – honest and authentic living.
What does the Bible say about Beauty?
Fearing the Lord and doing His will – that’s what Christian beauty is. Point. Blank. Period.
Proverbs 31:30 – “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.“
What does it look like to fear the Lord?
Well, it is not about a tormenting fear but a humbling reverence.
You and I are never more beautiful than when our lifestyle honors Him and obeys Him.
According to Proverbs 31:31, fearing the Lord is your deep respect and reverence for God’s authority and moral standards to drive your life.
Cover Thyself, Christian Woman
It means you don’t show parts of your body that will associate you with an ungodly woman.
It means your mouth isn’t spewing curse words over blessings.
It means you don’t always get to respond when hurt or harmed.
It means spending time with the Lord daily—just you and Him—and allowing His Word to sink into your being and transform your life.
It means you are part of a church body and attend regularly – because He told you to.
It means you seek His guidance in decisions and align your actions with His teachings.
Fearing Him is understanding the greatness of God and your dependence on Him.
That’s beauty!
Beauty for a Christian Woman – I want some!
As I embark on this season, I want to focus on Christian beauty more than physical beauty.
Hey, I’m in my mid-50s.
I’ve done many things that are not beautiful in my lifetime.
But, thank God, the Holy Spirit is never tiring and continues transforming my heart so I can embody Christian beauty from the inside that exudes to the outside.
Ask Him to make you beautiful. Allow Him to do His work.
Then, you do the work (ex., a lifestyle of prayer, Bible study, and church membership).
The beauty you see on Instagram and other social media will go away. It won’t last.
“Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”
At this age, I am proof physical beauty changes.
Check out the two pictures below.
They are 15 years apart.
Time has flown.
Even so, my heart is the same.
It’s grown. It’s been broken, and it’s faith shaken.
But it’s focused on Jesus Christ and what He wants to do in me. There is a beauty in that.
Just as there is beauty in priceless antique items which have withstood the test of time.
Listen, I’ll still be beautiful when I am a frail little being.
I’ll have Christian beauty because I loved others, followed God’s spiritual disciplines, and kept moving when life socked me in the stomach.
Psalm 149:4
“For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation and adorn the wretched with victory.”
If you struggle with your appearance
If you feel unattractive, do what you can to feel attractive in your own eyes by exploring various ways to enhance your self-image and confidence.
It’s okay to change your hair; Lord knows I do that often.
It’s okay to work on losing weight.
All this may mean trying out different styles and ways to personalize a change.
But as a Christian woman, go to your Source, Jesus Christ.
You’re beautiful because He made you beautiful.
Not believing this is an undeniable affront to His greatness and an insult to His boundless creativity.
Another tip is to practice memorizing scriptures like the ones in this blog post.
Speak kindness to yourself, Girl!
Never say bad things about yourself.
Instead, try positive affirmations like “God made me beautiful” or engaging in activities that make you feel good about yourself.
Go ahead and embrace your unique qualities, and remember that true beauty comes from within your Christian connection to Christ.
Hey, thanks for reading. I love you!
Before you go, share how you define Christian beauty.
Article Source:
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-wyandott-herald-wiley-pope-and-judge/120824870/?locale=en-US
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