Your eyes are the windows to your soul. It is a primary filter for your ability to identify beauty. Our eyes also help us to discern safely vs. danger, and love vs. hate. The trouble comes when we rely too much on what we see, and start trusting and clinging to things that give us visual pleasure. One of the things people cling to is physical beauty. In today’s world, physical beauty correlates with being white, thin (for women, and for men it’s being buff), wealthy, well dressed, and famous. “Beautiful” people also have lots of money and material possessions (seen any beautiful poor people on magazine covers lately?). Beautiful people also have elaborate, technologically advanced possessions, and a personality that’s “cool.” Trusting in physical beauty regardless of the source, quality or affiliation, is vanity. The word for today is “vain.”
Photo courtesy of wolter_tom / Pixabay
The Bible warns us about clinging to beauty, because it is vain. We think that “vain” means “self absorbed.” Actually, the word vain as used in Proverbs 31:30 means, transitory, empty, and worthless. Health and physical beauty decline with age and vary by cultural norms: They are transitory. Beauty cannot fulfill the longings of your soul; therefore, it is empty. Good looks and fine clothing are worthless because they cannot secure the eternal safety of your soul. Only the precious blood of Jesus can do that.
The Lord prefers for us to value things that are eternal, like having faith in Jesus, and loving of God and our neighbors. Rather than praising women (and men) who are beautiful by this world’s standards, you should love the Lord, and praise those who fear Him.
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Proverbs 31:30 KJV
Til we meet again, “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”
Your friend in Christ,
Verneda
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