True Beauty

I’ve always heard it said, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” I always took it as a truism, just like, “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” But tonight, I was challenged to think differently.

Still in study of “The Truth Project,” God is the originator of creativity. He bestowed various gifts upon humankind to use for His glory. He gave us a desire to use these gifts- to design, to create, to express truths, to create order out of chaos. That is what work is supposed to be, an expression of who God created you to be.

So if someone creates something, does that make it beautiful? Is it truly a decision of the beholder whether or not something is beautiful?

No. I now believe beauty is a quality in and of itself, like truth, goodness, righteousness, or love. The human body is beautiful, but pornography is ugly. Language is beautiful, but hate is ugly. Music is beautiful, but profanity is ugly.

The beauty we are able to see in other people represents God’s handiwork at its finest. In the movie “Shallow Hal,” Hal is hypnotized to see women for who they are on the inside. What a blessing to be able to see someone through God’s eyes, no matter their height, weight, hair color, skin color, scars, or disabilities.

Beauty is what is true, what is good, what is orderly. It is good to keep these things in mind. As Paul says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).