We are called to be beautiful (Proverbs 31:10-31)



Read Proverbs 31:10-31, and Exodus 33:17-20

Beauty. So many people will do anything for it. The world is full of products, diets, and fads in a vain attempt to attain beauty. But what is beauty? The world defines beauty as a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form that pleases the anesthetic senses, especially sight. The Bible defines beauty quite differently. Proverbs 31 has quite a bit to say about what we, as women, should aspire to be. Proverbs 31:10 says, "A wife of noble character, who can find? She is worth far more than rubies." Beauty is found within your character, your spirit, and your attitude. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, "Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things that man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." What is in your heart will come out in all you say and do. If we keep reading Proverbs 31, we see that a beautiful woman is one who is an eager worker, who provides her family with all they need, gives to the poor, has strength and dignity, is wise, but above all, fears the Lord. It's quite a high goal to try and attain all those things, but you need to have these qualities inwardly for them to show outwardly. 1 Peter 3:3-4 says, "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, quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." Again, we see that beauty is a reflection of what's inside a person. That's not all, though. The Bible also addresses worldly beauty, that is, our physical appearance. We are not to treat physical beauty the way the world does. Ezekiel 28:17 says, "Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings." We should not allow physical beauty to corrupt us or make us proud. Neither should we flaunt our bodies or pursue expensive trends. "I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God." (1 Timothy 2:9-10).  

Physical beauty, in and of itself, is not wrong. God is the creator, and He has made many beautiful things. There's nothing wrong with admiring beauty, as long as it's done the right way, gives God the glory, and isn't lustful or coveting. In Psalm 139:13-14 it says, "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, I know that full well." Our bodies are beautiful; God created us beautifully. Our sin has simply corrupted what God made perfect. The intricacies of how we are made is far beyond man's comprehension. We can not even look at God's true beauty and glory in our current sinful state. The Bible tells us in Psalm 50:2 that God Himself is beautiful, "From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth." God's glory is so great we can't even look upon it now, as we see in the story of Moses on the mountain in Exodus 33:20. A day will come when we are blessed with being able to see God's full beauty. While we wait, we should strive to be beautiful in God's eyes. Strive to be God-fearing, kind and hard working, of noble character, and to have strength and dignity. These are the traits of a beautiful woman. 

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