People perceive beauty in many ways. Some focus on the outer appearance, while others look inward. Regardless of how we define beauty, most of us want to be considered beautiful by others. Some take it to the extreme.
By world standards today, if you're unhappy with your physical features, it's okay to change them. The world teaches that it's okay to do what you want if you're not hurting anyone.
How do you define beauty?
Let us be mindful that the world's definition of beauty and ours should not be the same. If we chase after the kind of beauty the world talks about, we may become vain, acquire low self-esteem, or have a lack of confidence. We must love ourselves for whom God created us to be. Remember, we were created in God's image (likeness) (Genesischapter 1 verse 27).
We express beauty by embodying the fruit of the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law" (Galatians chapter 5 verses 22-23).
When we live according to the word of God, his beauty shines through us. There's a song I used to sing at church, "Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me" (Albert W. T. Osborn). The song lists qualities such as Christ's wonderful compassion and purity that should be highlighted in our lives.
Beauty can be seen through our love for others. Love is an emotion that is easy to profess, but our actions don't always reflect it. Matthew chapter 22 verse 39 states, "And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself".
The second commandment is about loving others. Someone once asked how we can love others if we don't love ourselves. That's a tough question, we may want to believe that everyone loves themselves, but the reality is that many people struggle with love and acceptance.
Loving yourself begins with acceptance
Many of us find it hard to accept ourselves for who we are. We struggle with how we look, worry about how others perceive us and tend to continuously compare ourselves and our achievements. Some of us are content when we feel like we're in a better position than others, but not so much when those close to us are doing better than us.
A famous quote states, "Comparison is the thief of all joy" (President Theodore Roosevelt). We lose out on a lot when we constantly contend with others. We must celebrate with those who celebrate and be empathetic when the situation demands it.
Most importantly, we must accept ourselves for who we are by identifying our strengths and weaknesses. We should embrace our outer appearance and aim to be the best version of ourselves that we can be. This should not be done to please or put us above others but to glorify God and to live a life pleasing to him.
Never use the world's standards to determine self-acceptance. Only the word of God should be a measure of beauty. May we all identify and embrace what makes us beautiful. Let us also be thankful for the way God made us. May we refute the thoughts that cause low self-esteem and recognize that we can be confident in God.
In everything you do, let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you.