Nip And Tuck

A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the sternness of his face is changed.

Ecclesiastes 8:1

Television’s Nip/Tuck program about cosmetic surgery is on to something. Americans spent more than twelve billion dollars in 2013 on cosmetic procedures, and that number is rising. The most common surgical option was liposuction, with 403,000 procedures performed. Botox was the most common nonsurgical remedy, performed on 3.1 million people.

Think what you will about cosmetic surgery, the simplest way to improve your appearance is to smile. The Bible has much to say about the appearance of the human face. Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 8:1 that a person’s wisdom makes his face shine, and in Proverbs 15:13, he says that “a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance.”

Improving inward character should take priority over outward appearance so that when people look at us, they see the real us instead of a facade. That kind of beauty can’t be bought for twelve billion dollars. It’s priceless.

A smile is a curve that sets a lot of things straight.

ANONYMOUS