Beauty in the Church

Our conception of feminine beauty is so distorted in American culture. I was driving around town last week and saw an Oakley sunglasses ad that pretty much it sums up: “Perform Beautifully.”

That’s right. Beauty is a competition, and you are up against supermodels like Karena Dawn and airbrushed advertisements. The principle driving beauty in America is a principle of performance, not godliness.Will you perform beautifully? If so, you will run with $130 shades.

Women are dominated by the principle of performance, competing against one another for the title of beautiful. And when you fail to be fashionable, you fail to be beautiful—a great lie from the pit of marketing hell.

Our culture says: “Perform beautifully,” but the Gospel says: “Jesus performed beautifully for you!”

The biblical alternative is wonderful freeing. Our culture says: “Perform beautifully,” but the Gospel says: “Jesus performed beautifully for you!” The challenge is to lay hold of your beauty in Christ. This begins with repentance from believing the lies of our culture–perform beautifully–and turning to faith in Jesus for your beauty.

However, true beauty doesn’t grow in a vacuum of confession, you’ll need something to rearrange your view of beauty. something to place your faith in. God calls women to a beauty of godliness that is imperishable, that outlasts youth, physical fitness, fashion, and any earthly measurement: “an imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious” (1 Peter 3:3-4).

God celebrates beauty of Spirit and beauty of Action. Peter and Paul lay this out wonderfully. Read about it more here. As you cultivate a godly beauty, pick up some of resources that can help.