Christian Dating: "Why am I not being asked out?" B=Beautiful part 1: Beauty and the Bible

 B=Beautiful, part one: Beauty and the Bible

Beauty and the Bible

• This blog lightly touches this subject, and it could easily extend to an entire term paper.
• As a Christian girl this subject gets confusing…physical vs. who we are
• For more of a practical hands on approach to Beauty see Beauty part two: Beauty in every day life
• Not to mention Biblical examples of beauty vary greatly

Here are some verses that first jumped to my mind:

Proverbs 31:30
“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”

• Note: it doesn't say women should not be beautiful, just that there needs to be more to us than just our outside appearance 

Or this verse directed at wives: 1 Peter 3:3-6

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. ⁴ Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. ⁵ For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, ⁶ like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.”

• Hehe, if you know Sarah’s story you know she didn’t always submit herself to Abraham…but I think it was a reminder to the people who through education and culture held that couple in high respect, and with good reason.

• Also, a book on one of my shelves, points out that at the time women who were prostitutes wore excessive jewelry and did their hair in extensive hair styles.

On the other hand guys are extremely visual.

• I grew up in a super conservative church that consistently reminded me not to make my Christian brother stumble. This mistakenly led me down a path of baggy t-shirts, pony tails, and dowdy pants. These things were worn especially during meetings I had with male colleagues. Then I read the book Kissing Adrian by Siri L. Mitchell. 

It opened my eyes to a few points I was missing.

• Women are God’s creation. Check out Genesis 2:21-22, when God hand makes Eve.
• Women are made beautiful, there is no going around it, no matter what you look like or wish was different about your self.

Don’t believe me, read Song of Songs or this one, written to one of King David’s wives. NIV Psalm 45:10-15

   ¹⁰ Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention: 
   Forget your people and your father’s house. 
¹¹ Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; 
   honor him, for he is your lord. 
¹² The city of Tyre will come with a gift,^[d] 
   people of wealth will seek your favor. 
¹³ All glorious is the princess within her chamber; 
   her gown is interwoven with gold. 
¹⁴ In embroidered garments she is led to the king; 
   her virgin companions follow her— 
   those brought to be with her. 
¹⁵ Led in with joy and gladness, 
   they enter the palace of the king

Conversations with others:

• I realize, on top of everything else, it’s a cultural thing.
• Put a group of women together who don’t know each other and a negative tirade about one’s own beauty can always be a sure fire way to get everyone involved in the conversation, over their own dissatisfaction.
•  “My hips”  
• “Look at my thighs” 
• “That’s nothing you guys should see my…”
• And when everyone is saying something negative about themselves it feels obligatory to add you own item otherwise you’ve breeched a girl code. 
• Possibly coming off as snobbish, or giving the impression you believe you are perfect. 
• It easily leaves out feeling secure in God’s love, or appreciating the gifts God has given you.
• Which might be a great girl party. One where everyone who comes shares a positive attribute about themselves and the other girls coming. And as a group you pray for God's love to come and be present in the following week.
• Um...I might just do this and blog about it later...after Christmas perhaps.
• I highly recommend disentangling your self out of these conversations by changing the subject. You have the power to steer the conversation, do so. 
• i.e.“I was thinking of putting together a clothing swap…anyone interested?
• “Did you guys see the trailer for the new Snow White movie?” (by the way I’m super excited about both!)

Mirror Mirror

So what can we take away from Inside vs. Outside beauty?

If you type beauty into Bible Gateway, you’ll find:

• God described as beautiful, Psalm 27:4, Psalm 50:2 and more
• Some Godly women were considered beautiful, and their stories of how they saved, started, or continued a nation.
• Some un-Godly women considered beautiful who left a path of destruction in their wake, and normally died pretty terribly.
• Plus, warnings against prostitution

My best guess from what I read is, Beauty…

• Should not be sold, traded, or considered cheap.
• Beauty should be recognized in\about ourselves as well as others (for we were made by God)
• Beauty is not enough, we need to be well rounded daughters of Christ
• Hiding, and speaking negatively about it, is hiding and criticizing God’s creation.
• Beauty it’s self is not evil, but we should be wise in how we dispense it

To finish: the trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman, which has a clear example of beauty used wrong.