The first thing I want you to do is go to Google, type in “beauty” and see what you find. Most websites like Wikipedia, Urban Dictionary and Yahoo Answers define beauty as being more than just what appears on the outside, which is very true. Now don’t get me wrong, outward appearance is very much a form of beauty. It is not the true form of beauty—the true form lies beneath the skin. Today’s society is telling young people, both girls and guys alike, that in order to be considered beautiful, you need to look a certain way, dress a certain way, wear certain make up and wear a certain hair style.
Here is one example: People Magazine has a yearly issue titled “Sexiest Man Alive”. When you look at the cover, you see a person with good looks, a nice haircut and perfect teeth. But how does People Magazine chose the person that is going to appear on the cover of the sexiest man alive issue? It’s all based on the outward appearance and it has nothing to do with what lies beneath the skin. Beauty in today’s world has become so shallow and one of the biggest lies being told to young people, women especially. Society picks people who have outward beauty and presents them to the world in a way that says “you have to look like this in order to be beautiful.”
I’m here to tell you that no matter what your outward appearance, God has made you in His image and you are His masterpiece. Song of Solomon 4:7 says “You are altogether beautiful, my love, there is no flaw in you.” We are God’s masterpiece and He has made each of us uniquely beautiful in our own way. In 1 Samuel 16, God is talking to Samuel about how He has rejected Saul as king over Israel and that there will be a new king chosen by God: David. God sends Samuel to the house of Jesse to find the anointed one. When Samuel arrives, Jesse’s first son, Eliab, comes to greet him; Samuel takes one look at him and says “this has to be the guy God has chosen.” But God then tells Samuel, in verse 7, that “looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. God judges people differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; but God looks into the heart.” God sees the true beauty inside us, while we look at the outward appearance. In today’s society, it’s hard to find anything that goes against what we’re being told, and firmly stands for God.
A public figure that I look up to, when it comes to this subject, is a guy named Matty Mullins, who also happens to be the vocalist for my favorite band: Memphis May Fire. Matty was born and raised in my home town of Spokane and is now the front man for one of the biggest metal bands today. Even though he is one of the most famous men in the “metal scene”, he still understands how important a personal relationship with Jesus is. Matty has devoted his life to sharing the Gospel through music. When you have time, I would like you to check out some of their songs, specifically the songs “Beneath The Skin” and “Divinity.” I would suggest reading the lyrics first, because the music is slightly aggressive. I use the band as an example to show that there are influential people standing up for God and telling young people like you and I that we are beautiful and perfect just the way we are. We don’t have to look a certain way in order to be considered beautiful. You and I are perfect, because God made us in His image and He does not make anything that is ugly.
Written by Kelly Lynch
