A Pause to Ponder God's Word
"Beautiful People"

The newscaster announced that the "beauty queens" would share their beauty secrets. As she interview the women, one blurted out, "I will do anything to be beautiful!" They flashed pictures of the various women across the screen to emphasis their beauty. I am sure that millions were taking notes on the "secrets" these women revealed. Beauty is a modern day idol. Our culture worships it. Cosmetic companies and cosmetic surgery are multi-billion dollar industries because of our insatiable desire to be beautiful people. The world is defining beauty and, sadly, many Christians are more influenced by it's definition (which is superficial and constantly changing) than they are by God's.

"Your 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. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. (1 Peter 3:3-5)

These verses specifically speak to women who are married to non-believing husbands. Their inner beauty is a crucial factor in winning their husbands over to Christ. But the verse is not to be limited to this situation alone. The examples that Peter uses helps us see this. Nor is the passage's truth limited to women. In verse seven Peter addresses husbands by saying "in the same way...," inferring that the instruction he is about to give them is in addition to what was said to the women, not separate from it. We must also be careful not to get caught up in the verses' details concerning outward adornment. Though they are grossly ignored by many, to make them the center of attention is to miss the divine truth from which they are derived.

God defines beauty as a gentle and quiet spirit. True beauty radiates from within. It has nothing to do with outward appearance. A person whom the world would call ugly can be beautiful in Christ. One whom the world calls beautiful can be ugly in sin. True, unfading beauty is not found in a man made fountain of youth, but in Christ Jesus alone. The Christians' refusal to adorn ourselves with cosmological paraphernalia emanates from our understanding of beauty. We refuse to allow the world to define it. We rely on God's definitions. We know in Him we are made beautiful. Our beauty secrets have nothing to do with exercise, cucumber slices, oatmeal facials, oil baths, or the like. Our beauty secrets are spiritual disciplines that are means through which God's grace is at work in us making us ever more like Christ - beautiful!

This is no excuse for looking or living disheveled or slovenly. Our outward appearance needs to reflect godliness. Our bodies are temples of His Spirit and should be cared for and treated as such. Nonetheless, Christians need to rise above a worldly view of beauty so that we can truly be beautiful people! We must not be pushed into the world's mold, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds in Christ. (see Romans 12) This not only effects us, but, as this passage notes, others are influenced for Christ by it! Therefore, let "your beauty not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, let it be your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."

Keep Close To Jesus
Pastor Gerry


A Pause To Ponder God's Word is written and distributed by Gerald Whetstone, Ordained Elder and teacher in the Church of the Nazarene. These devotionals may be transmitted, duplicated, used in part or in entirety without permission for nonprofit purposes only. Responses welcome. To Subscribe Click Here.
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