Beauty Or Light?

Have you noticed how the whole world is preoccupied in fact, obsessed with physical beauty? No one wants to know what is on the inside as long as the outward physical appearance is beautiful. Merchants of the world had grown very rich marketing products and ideas of beauty over the ages. The hype of beauty has reached a feverish level that it is almost a sin or crime to be otherwise. People spend a fortune to be and remain beautiful, unfortunately, those that cannot afford to spend fortunes are left bereft and pulverized by the hype. When they come into Church, there is no difference. The First Lady must be beautiful or always looking impeccable, the Pastors, wives, the list are endless, must always ‘look’ beautiful. Don’t get me wrong, beauty is good, in fact our God is Beautiful; but the obsession of people with beauty has taken it into a level of must have and a standard for living. Friend, God did not put us on this earth just for us to look and sound good, become famous and always ‘hanging’ around beautiful and winning people. Such idea is not only foolish and worthless but temporal and passing away. Don't you know  that what a generation might call beautiful today may become ugly to the next? What then? 

As a child of God, have you pondered on what God’s view is on all of this? Jesus Christ did not declare He is the beauty of the world neither did He say we are the beauty of the world. Jesus Christ said in John 8:12 “…I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” Concerning us His followers, He declared in Matthew 5:14a: “You are the light of the world…” With these pronouncements, He is simply drawing our attention from the race for physical beauty to becoming shining light that will illuminate the darkness of the world! God is not preoccupied with our outward physical attributes (after all, He created us) but with what we carry on the inside. When God is describing people He does not lay emphasis on their physical attributes but what is inside the person. The physical attributes are for us to serve the Lord better and not to distract us from serving Him. In the Old Testament, when people are described by their physical attributes, the Lord goes on to talk about how these physical attributes contributed to their walk or lack thereof with the Lord. King Saul was the beauty of Israel: he was described as handsome and the tallest in the land. Instead of channeling this into an advantage, he used it to build a followership for himself, at the end he was disqualified from the throne. King David on the other hand was not only handsome, this however did not distract him from his duty to the Lord; he was called the Lamp of Israel by God and his soldiers. Despite the fact that he was equally physically endowed he turned his attention from pleasing self to pleasing the Lord. Friend, what translates a person from the level of mere earthly beauty to becoming a light and a beacon for his generation is what he delights in: “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.” Psalm 37:4. When a person is preoccupied and delights in outward beauty, such cannot be in tune with the things of God. His reasoning will always be at variance with that of God. Saul’s delight was in the people, their comments and fame as a result, it corrupted his obedience and walk with God. David’s delight however, was in the Lord no matter what, as a result the Lord called him His lamp, later, after his death he became and remained a standard! Friend, don’t be overly preoccupied by your looks or the looks of people around you so that you are not seduced or enticed into taking decisions that are contrary to God’s will. Rather concentrate on the Lord: let Him be your DESIRE so that the light within you will shine for all to see! God bless you.