Humans spend time, energy, and money trying to achieve an ideal look that they think will make them beautiful. So many of us base our worth on what we look like and whether others approve of our appearance.
Women strive to conform to the beauty standards of the culture, using makeup, dieting, and even surgery to maintain a certain look.
Men also manipulate their appearance and try to keep up with the latest fashion trends to make themselves appear handsome. In a worldly sense, beauty is no more than skin deep.
However, to understand what is truly beautiful, we must look at God’s Word. Not only do we find the correct measure of beauty, but we discover the source of all that’s good and lovely in creation.
According to the Bible, a person’s beauty is defined by what’s on the inside, not the outward appearance.
The Source of Beauty
To biblically understand beauty, we must first consider our Creator. When He created all things, he said His creation “was very good” (Genesis 1:31).
Even now, after the Fall of Man has negatively affected all creation, we can see the evidence of God’s attributes, including beauty, in nature (Romans 1:20).
Both the delicate rose and enchanting seascape reveal the artistry and loveliness of our Creator. God, splendid in majesty, is the source of all that is beautiful in the world.
We might wonder, “how can God be beautiful if we cannot see Him?” In his attributes of love, holiness, righteousness, and faithfulness, He shows Himself to be altogether beautiful.
When God the Son took on human flesh, His appearance was not what attracted people to Him (Isaiah 53:2). Instead, during Jesus’ earthly ministry, people were drawn to Him because of His love and compassion.
In contrast to the wisdom of the world, the Lamb of God who was slain is the exalted King of kings and Lord of lords, forever praised (Revelation 5:6; 19:16). The blood and suffering our Savior endured were not beautiful.
His death on the cross demonstrates the ugliness and horror of humankind’s sin. However, His beautiful act of love in dying in our place tells us more about beauty than anything else ever could (Ephesians 2:4-5).
As the Creator of all things, He crafted nature and life that painters only hope to capture in their art. Furthermore, His act of sacrifice in laying down His life for our sake shows us that beauty is rooted in His act of love. There is nothing more beautiful than the love we receive in Christ.
The Source of Inner Beauty
Since God’s beauty is based on His characteristics and He is the source of all beauty, then it naturally follows that godly characteristics are what make people beautiful.
Scripture reminds us that the Lord looks at people’s hearts, not their outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:7). Thus, true beauty comes from the inside.
Unlike the world, which tells us that people are attractive or lovely because of their appearance, the Bible tells us that beauty is based on character.
As Peter explained in his epistle, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, 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” (1 Peter 3:3-4).
Someone who displays this inner beauty in Scripture is the Proverbs 31 woman. She concerned herself with following the Lord, being productive, clothing her family, and helping the poor and needy (Proverbs 31:13-27). She is praised for her noble character (Proverbs 31:29).
As Proverbs 31:30 says, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised” (NLT). Although her youthful appearance and outward prettiness would fade, her relationship with the Lord and her respect for Him would last forever.
Men in the Bible were also recognized for their character. While David was outwardly handsome, his character was more important. He is remembered in Scripture as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22).
Similarly, Joseph (called Barnabas) was known for his encouragement and generosity. Not even a word is given in the Bible to describe his appearance, but we read about how he sold his property and gave the money to the apostles to help meet the needs of others (Acts 4:36-37).
In eternity, what matters is if we know Christ, reflect His character and follow Him. Jesus will not reward Christians for achieving a certain appearance at His Judgment Seat. Instead, He will look at what we’ve done with the opportunities He’s given us (Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
We are wise to cultivate a godly character in our lives through the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). As Paul wrote in his letter to young Timothy, “Godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).
Christlikeness Is Beautiful
I mentioned earlier that nothing is as beautiful as Jesus’ sacrifice in dying for our sins. Growing in Christlikeness is, therefore, essential to a biblical definition of beauty.
We can see evidence of this in the Bible, where we learn that people who were regarded as possessors of true beauty reflected Christlikeness in their life.
Ruth reflected the godly attributes of the Proverbs 31 woman. She worked industriously in Boaz’s field to gather grain for herself and her mother-in-law, Naomi.
Like the woman of noble character, Ruth “sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks” (Proverbs 31:17). She cares for others and displays a hardworking character.
While these godly attributes make Ruth beautiful, the central aspect of her character that stands out to others is the sacrifice she made in leaving her homeland and her people to care for Naomi.
As Boaz told Ruth, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband — how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge” (Ruth 2:11-12).
Her willingness to sacrifice her well-being for others (which reflects Christlikeness) is what makes Boaz notice her.
Like Ruth, Esther’s beauty also comes from a Christlike attitude. Although Esther’s outward appearance attracted the notice of the King of Persia, Scripture shows us that her true beauty came from her inner self. She risked her life to save her people, the Jews, from being killed.
As she told Mordecai, “I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). Her surrender to God’s will and willingness to sacrifice is what the Bible emphasizes, not her appearance.
Interestingly, the Bible gives little to no description of what people look like. Not even Jesus’ physical appearance is given in Scripture. God does not want us to make carven images of Him or His creation, including people in the Bible (Exodus 20:4; Deuteronomy 4:15-18).
However, the lack of any description of appearance also shows us that how someone looks does not define their worth or beauty. Instead, true beauty comes from within and reflects Christ’s character.
What Does This Mean for My Life?
A biblical view of beauty starts with a proper understanding of God. He created all things, and the loveliness we see in nature is a result of His artistry. We can rightly say that God is beautiful because of His essence and character.
Furthermore, Jesus’ act of dying for us is the greatest and most beautiful act of love. Although He is our glorious God, He came to die as the sacrificial Lamb of God. I would argue, based on the Bible, that Christlikeness is what makes a person truly beautiful.
We display an unfading beauty when we are willing to lay aside our interests and even our very lives for others (John 15:13).
Knowing that true beauty comes from within should change how we view ourselves and others. Since the Bible teaches us that God looks at the heart, not the outward appearance, then we should base beauty on people’s character and how they live.
As believers, we can stop trying to find our worth in how we look. No longer should we judge ourselves or others based on the world’s standard of beauty. Instead, we are wise to follow what God’s Word teaches us about beauty.
For further reading:
Does God See More Than the Physical Appearance?
Should Christians Be Involved in Diet Culture?
How Is Charm Deceptive and Beauty Fleeting?
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