God’s Beauty Standards

 By: Grace Metzger

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, 
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭31‬:‭30‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Lately I’ve found myself on the beauty part of social media. If you’re unfamiliar with what I’m talking about, this is a part of social media that gives makeup tips, styling ideas, and weight loss help. In theory this could be a great thing, women coming together to give ideas and encouragement to other women about ways to improve. But sadly it’s not always a super positive thing. Time and time again I’ve seen videos of women judging others for their looks, hating on people for what they eat, laughing at women for ways they dress, and overall just showing that no one can fit the beauty standards of today’s world. Being on this part of social media is hard. You start to question how others see you.

In today’s world, beauty is one of the most important things to people. People are starving themselves and getting surgery after surgery just so they can look like the world says they should look. It horrifying to see the lengths people are going to fit into the world’s standard of beauty

Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair
and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you
wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person
of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and
quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

When you start having the worlds point of view shown to you over and over again it starts to taken a residence in your mind. I started questioning my looks and appearance, becoming fearful that I wasn’t fitting into the standard of beauty. Then one day I read 1 Peter 3:3-4. I was so focused on my external self that I was abandoning my internal self. 

Was I working on being a gentle, kind, and loving spirit? Was I focusing on being precious in God’s mind? Sadly the answer is no. I was so focused on how others perceived me that I forgot to focus on how God is perceiving me. 

The beauty standards of the world are a constantly changing thing that you can never keep up with. One day it says you should look like this and the next day it’ll say you’re ugly unless you look like the complete opposite of yesterday’s idea of perfect. Trying to keep up with this will do more harm than good. But God’s beauty standards are not only doable but also they are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. His beauty standards are us being kind, loving, and gentle souls. His idea of a perfect person is one who follows and loves Him. That’s how you fit into His beauty standards. Which I don’t know about you but it seems much more doable rather then starving yourself to become a size zero. 

This week I challenge you to put away social media and instead work on becoming God’s standard of beauty. You’ll quickly notice that while the world’s was overwhelming and cruel, God’s idea of beauty is going to improve your mind, body, and soul in every way. 

Discussion Question: How do you handle the world’s beauty standards and God’s beauty standards?