“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is a famous quote meaning that the perception of beauty is subjective. God, being our Creator, is our ultimate beholder. Have you ever wondered what His eyes see when He looks at you? Does HE find you beautiful? What is His definition of beauty? He is calling us to arise and to show this beauty given to us!
In my walk with the Lord, He has gently replied to these kind of questions and I’ve come to the realisation that His perspective is perfect and carries an absolute truth. The answer we are looking for is in Proverbs 31:30 “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” Out of this passage we can grasp a glance of God’s infinite wisdom; His definition of beauty is absolutely based on the fear of the Lord.
Fear of the Lord?!
Before I move on, I want to shortly explain what the fear of the Lord is, so that we are all on the same page. Having the fear of the Lord means to show reverence, honour and respect towards God and His principles. Another word for fear is to ‘tremble’. In Revelation 1:17 it says “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last…” Here John was literally in the very presence of God and he fell on his feet like a dead man when he saw Him. Evenmore, Jesus tells him: “don’t be afraid”. John was not only caught in awe and reverence but he was also trembling before God, simply because HE is God! Showing reverence and honour to our God goes beyond the physical expression of bowing down in front of Him. It is an attitude of the heart in our daily lives. It is related to living in holiness.
The definition of beauty
The fear of the Lord is a treasure and a fountain of life
As I mentioned before, having the fear of the Lord also means respecting His principles, His ways and commands. It is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 8:13 says “To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behaviour and perverse speech.” Here is Lady Wisdom speaking and defining for us that the fear of the Lord is to live in holiness. Evenmore, the Bible also says that the fear of the Lord is a treasure and a fountain of life. It even has benefits for us! It leads us to life!! Let’s go back to Proverbs 31:30. Here is God giving us the definition of beauty to all of us ladies! (Also to men of course!) Beauty is based on the fear of the Lord. And I believe that this is also including our physical beauty. God has already created us beautiful and it is part of His will that we will cultivate this.
Cultivate your natural beauty
Somehow we could maybe misinterpret the first part of this verse: “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting…” by thinking that God doesn’t care about aesthetics at all. God IS beautiful and He is, therefore, the ultimate representation of beauty. Everything that comes from Him is beautiful and produces beauty. By fearing Him, we are a reflection of His beauty both inside and out. His principles are also relevant for the well-being of our bodies as they are for our soul, mind and spirit. It is a godly thing to take time to cultivate our natural beauty in a balanced way.
Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me
Is it wrong from us to want to look good every morning? Not all! But the warning here is to not make beauty a ‘god’ and pursue it in an unhealthy way. Instead, we are called to embrace our given beauty by taking care of it based on the fear of the Lord. We have the privilege to reflect God’s beauty here on earth. We are made for this! So, how do we do this?
1. Fearing the Lord (inner beauty): Honour Him radically. Hate evil and embrace holiness.
2. Cultivating our outer beauty: Practical approach: Do some exercises, relax your muscles and skin by taking a bath, get a new haircut, try on a new facial mask or simply drink enough water!
It’s time to arise! Rejoyce in the Lord and show your beauty!
“My beloved spoke and said to me, ‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me.’” (Song of Songs 2:10)
Read also: A cat or a lion? or How to be a strong woman
