Beauty is in the Eye of the Creator
I have heard that “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”. This belief makes beauty or the concept of it subject to personal opinion. I offer you another view that is more concrete. Beauty is in the eye of the creator because the creator knows the purpose of the creation.
Defining Beauty
Webster defines beauty as:
“the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit.”.[1]
For example, when an inventor has a concept in mind, they work tirelessly to bring it to fruition. Persistent, even after many failed attempts, until finally, the invention is perfected and performs exactly as envisioned. To that inventor, it is a thing of beauty. It is what they conceived in their mind and now hold in their hands. It is a pleasure to look at it. It lifts their spirit to know that it could be done, and they made it.
An artistic masterpiece is of value because of the uniqueness of the stroke of the artist’s brush, the carving of the sculptor’s chisel, the touch of the potter’s hands, and the breath through the glassblower’s blowpipe. Each artisan starts with a concept and a purpose for what they create before they begin. When they have finished the work, and it fits their designed form and function, it is beautiful.
The Psalmist wrote,
“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” (Psalm 139:14).[2]
In the Beginning…
In Genesis, as God set the world in order, He stopped at various stages and confirmed that each progression of His work was complete, and affirmed His approval of it. He said let there be light, and when He saw the light and that it was good, He moved on to the next thing. He continued stopping and giving affirmation along the way that each additional phase “was good”.[3]
Good=Beautiful
The word translated in many Bible versions as “good” used here is towb in the Hebrew and according to Strong’s the word also means “beautiful”[4] and in the International Standard version it is translated as “beautiful”.[5] Towb also means pleasant, delightful, and beneficial. God is the ultimate Creator and Master Inventor. He perfected His design not only of the world but also of you for a purpose.
Ephesians 2:10 states,
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
God determined a purpose for your life and formed you into the masterpiece He wanted you to be. Much like the artisan, but with two exceptions. One, God does not make mistakes as human artisans might make. Two, God’s design is not subject to anyone else’s approval or opinion. So as God is your creator, He alone defines your beauty.
Beauty Defined by Purpose
God tells us how He defines beauty in Romans 10:15,
“And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”.
It would seem more appropriate to say, “How beautiful are the lips of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” It is through the lips that the words come forth, and they are more visible and much comelier to look at. But recognizing the feet and not the lips, I think God is letting us know that it not always what or who is out front and visible that should be honored but also those that are behind the scenes and make it possible for those out front to do what they do and go where they go.
Some labor tirelessly to make sure that ministers have the freedom and ability to travel, to study, and to pray. They should not only be honored but God calls them beautiful. What we often overlook and undervalue, has God’s full attention and admiration. Those with the gift of helps are often the backbone of the church. The usher with the true gift of hospitality can win souls to Christ by how welcomed they make visitors feel.
Uncommonly Beautiful
God addresses the most uncomely part of us, that part we typically give the least attention to or fuss over, that part of us that is often not even seen and calls them out as beautiful.
It is not because of appearance but because they are actively operating in their purpose. Although we walk today, in that day and time, walking was a mode of transportation. Healthy feet would have been extremely important but not necessarily as beautiful as God calls them out and honors them to be. Could it be because it’s the feet that support the person who carries the Gospel and take them from city to city and town to town? Perhaps it is more so, that God is addressing that even our most uncomely part is beautiful to Him when we are busy doing His work. Imagine how God looks at you as a whole when you do His will if He looks at your feet and calls them beautiful?
The World Needs Your Beauty
The scripture tells us in John 17 that we are not to be of the world. This means we are not to take on the characteristics of it. Although we are not of the world, we are still in the world. More specifically, we are “sent into the world”.[6]
It is contrary to the Word of God to expect that sinners are going to just find their way into the Sunday service. Yes, it does happen, but typically that soul had already been witnessed to outside of the church. The Bible instructs us to go out into the hedges and highways and compel them to come in.[7]
Beauty in Your Light
If we live by Jesus’ example, he ate with Publicans, spoke with sinners, and loved them. How can we win souls if we are not around them to win them? I must point out, however, that we have to make sure that we are the ones doing the influencing, and it is not the other way around. 1 Corinthians 15:33 warns us to be careful who we hang around. It’s the same advice your mother gave you: “birds of a feather, flock together;” “if you play with dogs, you’ll get fleas;” or “if you play in the dirt, you’ll get dirty.” In other words, when people hang out together long enough, one will rub off on the other. When you are trying to lead a person to Christ, you need to continually check yourself to make sure that you are not being led away from Christ.
We are the light that is to shine in the darkness. In order to light a path to God, we must be where light is needed, and you must have light to give.[8] Light is in direct contrast to darkness so your life must be different than those around you. You must exhibit love instead of hate, peace instead of conflict, joy instead of sorrow or depression as those without hope, meekness, and patience instead of insubordinate, overbearing, and impatient. In other words, you must exhibit and strive to live the character depicted in the beatitudes..[9]
The Beauty of Holiness
Holiness is another way that God defines beauty. In 1 Chronicles 16:29,
“Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”.
It reads similarly in Psalm 29:2,
“Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”
In Exodus 28:2 we read,
“And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.”.
Here’s one from the New Testament, 1 Peter 3:2-4,
“While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”
Holiness, living according to God’s plan, is closely tied to beauty in God’s eyes. Ministering and serving God’s people is beautiful to God. Sharing His Word and good news about salvation through His grace is what makes us beautiful to God. Showing love and demonstrating the goodness of God to others is beautiful to God. Why, because when we are doing these things, we are fulfilling the purpose we were created to fulfill. What we often get focused on is the outward appearance. God makes it clear. He is not focused on the outside. He is looking at what is on the inside of a person, their moral character.
What is Holiness
Holiness calls for us to be distinct and different from the world not separated from it.
None of us are holy on our own. To be holy requires God to sanctify you. Sanctification and holiness work together. The word “holy” in Greek is “hagios.”. Strong’s defines it as “sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated).”. In OT Hebrew, it is “qadosh,” which means ceremonially or morally sacred.[10] The word “sanctify” in OT Hebrew is very similar to it. It is “qadash,” which means to be set apart or consecrated. In NT Greek, it is “hagiason,” to make holy, consecrate, sanctify.
What it means when we put it all together is that God calls you out to belong to Him, to fulfill a specific purpose, and to live as a consecrated vessel. We are sanctified and perfected through the death of Jesus on the cross.[11] In the Theological Wordbook, the authors call out sanctification as a three-part process. The first is positional sanctification, which comes about automatically when you are saved. The second is a progressive process of sanctification through submission to the Holy Spirit and living accordingly. The third is the final sanctification given to us either at death or the rapture.[12]
The Beauty of Attraction
Beauty attracts us to it. Webster defines attractiveness as “the power of irresistible attraction” and to attract is to “pull to or draw toward oneself.” The Cambridge dictionary states it as, “the quality of causing interest or making people want to do something.” This immediately makes me think of how we become attractive to God. James 4:8 says,
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”
If God is who you want to attract, don’t play hard to get. Run to Him, openly declare your love for Him. Unashamedly and brazenly throw yourself at Him. He in return will run to you, unashamedly declare that you are His and that He loved you before you even knew who He was and gave His all for you.
For more on beauty read “Beauty Can Be Wasted According To The Bible“
[1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beauty
[2] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the King James Version (https://www.biblegateway.com/).
[3] Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31 (KJV)
[4] https://biblehub.com/strongs/hebrew/2896.htm
[5] Genesis 1:4 (ISV) 4 “God saw that the light was beautiful.[a] He[b] separated the light from the darkness,” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+1%3A4&version=ISV
[6] John 17:11-18
[7] Luke 14:23
[8] Matthew 5:14-16
[9] Matthew 5: 1-16
[10] https://biblehub.com/strongs/hebrew/6918.htm
[11] Hebrews 10:10-14
[12] Don Campbell, Wendell Johnston, John Walvoord, and John Witmer, The Theological Wordbook (Nashville: Word Publishing, 2000), 316-317.
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