Day 38 | Beauty Application

Read Ephesians 5

It seems like everywhere we look, there is some new person trying to tell us (men and women) how we can become more beautiful. It’s easy to fall into a vicious cycle of continually trying to improve our outward appearance because what is currently considered beautiful or desirable is constantly changing. That’s why God wants us to focus on a type of beauty that never fades or goes out of style.

Perhaps you have read Ephesians 5 before, but have you ever thought of it as a “beauty tutorial”? These instructions for how to live as followers of Jesus teach us how to reflect the beauty of God. We display God’s beauty when we live lives that please and glorify Him.

God is beautiful because He contains the perfect sum of all desirable qualities, and we are called to be imitators of Him. We will never be perfect in this life, but as we grow closer to God, we will look more and more like Him in the way we live. Unlike striving toward outward physical beauty, this inner beauty has an eternal purpose. Not only does reflecting God’s beauty point others to Him, but it is also part of the process of Jesus sanctifying His people. Ephesians 5 closes with a beautiful picture and promise that Jesus will one day get to
present the Church as a beautiful and perfect bride. Because Jesus loved us enough to die for us, if we live for Him, we will get to stand before Him in Heaven one day as new creations who perfectly reflect the beauty of God.

Which types of beauty are we chasing after most? Are we more focused on the definitions and instructions for beauty from culture or from God? As we read Scriptures like Ephesians 5, which teach us how to live beautiful lives reflecting God’s character, are there areas in us we need to invite Jesus to change and sanctify? As you seek to reflect God’s beauty in your life, be encouraged that “humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Pray for 10 minutes