I remember the first time that I explicitly learned that what is beautiful to one person can be really, really not beautiful to another. My neighbor and close friend was on a mission to find a new pet cat and invited me to join her in visiting a cat that someone was selling. Her quest was complicated, as her dad was severely allergic to cats, but this cat for sale was known as “hairless cat” so it would be feasible to have in their home.
When we arrived and were introduced to the cat, I was positive we would leave saying “thanks, but no thanks,” as it was one of the ugliest cats I’d seen. I wasn’t familiar with, or prepared for, seeing a hairless cat in person, and it was rough. But what shocked me more was my friend’s response! She was downright enamored, with the rat-like tail, oversized ears, and slightly translucent skin. It was love at first sight, and my friend clearly, unbelievably, found this little creature to be beautiful.
We’ve likely all heard different adages about beauty.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
“No pain, no beauty.”
“Beauty is only skin deep.”
Beauty is a culturally defined concept that is a bit nuanced, describing a view that is aesthetically pleasing while also maintaining a standard that can evoke shame or inadequacy. It’s also subjective, even within cultural norms, as evidenced by the differing opinion between my friend and I.
But what is not debatable, dependent on context, or subjective in any way, is God’s view of humanity as beautiful. God created humans, “looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!” (Genesis 1:31 NLT).
God sees your wrinkles, blemishes, cellulite and extra skin. He sees your eyes, nose, mouth and ears, your frizzy or greasy hair, and your weird-shaped toes. He sees your temperament, your lazy, selfish, and anxious days. And he calls you beautiful. Just by being his chosen and created child, you cannot be seen as anything but beautiful to him! Zephaniah states that he “takes great delight in you…and will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17 NIV)
This has not been a truth that has been easy for me to accept, most days. Insecurities and glaring messages surround me and often overwhelm God’s voice of affirmation, adoration, and love. In my younger years, I think I tried to just will myself to believe God’s truths about me, hoping that if I thought about it long and hard enough, eventually I’d convince myself and they would be easier to trust. And interestingly enough, that hasn’t really proven to work.
Rather, I wonder if it’s a choice to embrace the sometimes fleeting moments of feeling the warmth of God’s acceptance. It may be about savoring moments of feeling God’s smile flood my body and welcoming the truth, in that second, that God calls me beautiful. Perhaps even when we witness a sunset, a mountain peak, or a spring flower, we can take a step further and internalize that appreciation of beauty in recognition that it lives within us too.
Isaiah 61:1-3 NIV
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
About the Author
Britni is a quiet but fearless spirit who is earnestly seeking the beauty of the redemption that Jesus has personally determined for her life. Committed to the truth that listening breeds understanding and understanding results in compassion, she clings to the power of life’s stories. She has embarked on the venture of discovering her own story and lending an ear to the stories lived out in others and savors the trace of Jesus that is woven throughout them all. Currently, that journey has landed her in a balancing act between the role of wife, momma, and a mental health Care Coordinator.