Sifting Beauty

I have now determined to think in light of eternity, not just culturally. Coming from one culture and its push and proclamation of beauty and being inserted to another culture and its push and proclamation of beauty has shown me my sin in understanding beauty and in my hope to be beautiful.

This won’t be easy to decipher.

I am slightly ashamed to type such a thing.

Why won’t it be easy to think of beauty in a biblical manner??

I didn’t realize this until a few moments ago, but it will be difficult because I have never (really) tried to actually do it. I have heard words from “Christian songs,” pulpits, and university speeches, but I have never really listened. I have never questioned it myself and I have never tried to define it. Plus, beauty is hard to define.

(What makes the various arts beautiful? Why is creation beautiful to behold? How valuable is beauty? Why do our souls long for beauty? What is God’s beauty? How do you balance a pursuit of beauty, being as you are, working out, finances, etc? How important is physical beauty? Are physical and spiritual beauty connected, in opposition, do they reflect one another?)

This sinful way of perceiving and chasing after beauty is actually the root of and a signpost that reveals other sins in my soul. There will be much sifting.

What I have realized:

--I define beauty based on what my culture calls acceptable and how the people around me (men and women) will accept me based on those cultural demands.

--I (greatly) desire people’s approval. This often seems to outweigh my pursuit of the Lord’s approval. 

And so, here's a "first step" in taking off the sinful thoughts, making them my captives, renewing and disciplining my mind to think biblically, and to put on His righteousness:

I came across an article in the spring issue of The Journal of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood because of a link on Tim Challies' blog. The article is Women, Stop Submitting to Men by Russell D. Moore. I wasn't expecting it to say anything about beauty, but Moore's words have caught me by surprise and made me think. He points out that the pursuit of physical beauty is a type of submission.


Whoa. I hadn't even contemplated that perspective.


Here's his words. First with a bit of article background, then the point:

Too often in our culture, women and girls are pressured to submit to men, as a category. This is the reason so many women, even feminist women, are consumed with what men, in general, think of them. This is the reason a woman’s value in our society, too often, is defined in terms of sexual attractiveness and availability.

Submitting to men in general renders it impossible to submit to one’s “own husband.” Submission to one’s husband means faithfulness to him, and to him alone, which means saying “no” to other suitors.
Submission to a right authority always means a corresponding refusal to submit to a false authority.  

(Clincher)

[Women, your] beauty is found not in external (and fleeting) youth and “attractiveness” but in the “hidden person of the heart” which “in God’s sight is very precious” (1 Pet 3:3–4). And it will be beautiful in the sight of a man who is propelled by the Spirit of this God.

 Sisters, you owe no submission to Hollywood or to Madison Avenue, or to those who listen to them. Your worth and dignity cannot be defined by them. Stop comparing yourselves to supermodels and porn stars. Stop loathing your body, or your age. Stop feeling inferior to vaporous glamor. You are beautiful.

Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands as unto the Lord. Yes and Amen. But, women, stop submitting to men.

To whom have I chosen to submit myself? Why? Will I choose to meditate on and live out 1st Peter 3:3-4? When did I choose to forget the reality of 1st Peter 3:3-4?

--"Vaporous glamor"-- Is that the treasure I want to pursue? Vanity of vanities. A literal chasing after the wind. My heart has been deceived and I was quick and easy prey! Be watchful and soberminded -- gird up those loins!