Question 1

Where can we find beauty throughout God’s world?

Accepted Answer

Ecclesiastes 3:11God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.Seen in its proper light, every aspect of Creation is beautiful, though different kinds of beauty are rarely permanent or lovely in the same way. The green wonder of freshly unfurled leaves in spring deepens through the summer, then it abruptly transforms into a kaleidoscope of fall colors before withering into darker hues and fluttering to the ground. That yearly transition points to something transcendent, and the eternal longings within us cry out for an answer. Even a partial understanding of the scope of God’s handiwork can and should provoke awe, humility, and gratefulness.Proverbs 27:19As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.Mirrors confirm physical beauty, and a person’s responses to his or her circumstances reveal the beauty within. External beauty is as fragile as an image in water, but a person’s character can create lasting beauty.2 Corinthians 3:18All of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.The veil of unbelief clouds our ability to see God’s glory in Christ and to reflect it to others. The Holy Spirit not only gives us spiritual sight but also works to bring more and more of the Lord’s beauty into our lives. Are others and the Holy Spirit reporting to you those kinds of changes within you?Ephesians 5:8-9Once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.The memories and habits of our dark pasts can haunt us even when we have received Christ’s beautiful light. Our histories and habits are tools our enemy uses to declare that we have not changed. But we can turn away from our pasts and Satan’s whispers, because we know Christ wants to bring his own beautiful light into our lives. What lies about your past do you need to leave behind?1 Peter 3:3-4Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.Most worldly standards of beauty have in common a short shelf life determined by bodily aging and shifting styles. But beauty that flows from inner peace with God and confidence in him is lasting. We clothe ourselves with this beauty by making ourselves available to God so he can tailor his beauty to our lives.Proverbs 19:22Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest.When someone shows us costly loyalty, we experience the beauty of faithfulness. This reminds us of God, who sets the standard for loyalty by always keeping his word. The more we focus on following God and modeling his character, the more we reflect his beauty. What could be more beautiful than a perfect God?1 Samuel 16:7The Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”Since society too often emphasizes only physical attractiveness, our eyes have been trained to judge people first—and sometimes only—on the basis of their physical appearances. But God sees through physical appearance into the heart. In God’s eyes, real beauty comes from who we are, not what we look like.1 Corinthians 15:41The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory.Paul is describing the bodies we will have when we are resurrected. He points to the beauty and variety in God’s original Creation to assure us that God has something beautiful in mind for each of us that we cannot imagine. Our growing relationship with Christ ought to create a delightful anticipation in us for what he has planned.

Question 2

Beauty may be a blessing, but what dangers keep company with beauty?

Accepted Answer

Esther 1:10-20When King Xerxes was in high spirits because of the wine, he told the seven eunuchs who attended him . . . to bring Queen Vashti to him with the royal crown on her head. He wanted the nobles and all the other men to gaze on her beauty, for she was a very beautiful woman. But when they conveyed the king’s order to Queen Vashti, she refused to come. This made the king furious, and he burned with anger. . . . “What must be done to Queen Vashti?” the king demanded. “What penalty does the law provide for a queen who refuses to obey the king’s orders?” Memucan answered the king and his nobles, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also every noble and citizen throughout your empire. Women everywhere will begin to despise their husbands when they learn that Queen Vashti has refused to appear before the king. . . .So if it please the king, we suggest that you issue a written decree, a law of the Persians and Medes that cannot be revoked. It should order that Queen Vashti be forever banished from the presence of King Xerxes, and that the king should choose another queen more worthy than she. When this decree is published throughout the king’s vast empire, husbands everywhere, whatever their rank, will receive proper respect from their wives!”Vashti resisted Xerxes’s drunken demand, though it cost her dearly. She as well as her replacement, Esther, had to learn that great physical beauty comes with dangers. Her story also reminds us that to objectify a woman for her beauty is to demean and disrespect her as a human being created in God’s image. This harms the woman and corrupts the soul of the one objectifying her.Ezekiel 28:17Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty. Your wisdom was corrupted by your love of splendor. So I threw you to the ground and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings.God described the great seaside city of Tyre as a lovely woman much too aware of her physical attractiveness to others. Men and women can use their beauty in corrupt ways. They can take great pride in their beauty and use it for immoral reasons. Tyre reminds us that such pride can combine with other sins to bring about personal destruction.Ezekiel 16:18, 25You used the beautifully embroidered clothes I gave you to dress your idols. Then you used my special oil and my incense to worship them. . . . On every street corner you defiled your beauty, offering your body to every passerby in an endless stream of prostitution.God used very intimate language to describe his disappointment over the behavior of Jerusalem, comparing her to a brazenly unfaithful wife. This illustrates the larger point that a beautiful appearance is not always accompanied by beautiful conduct. Beauty can be used for evil, and when it is, it becomes something very ugly.

Question 3

How can my words be beautiful?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 15:26The Lord detests evil plans, but he delights in pure words.Both our internal thinking and our external expressions are accessible to God. He sees ugliness when our intentions are wicked, but he loves to hear words that proceed from a clean heart.Proverbs 25:11Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket.Wisdom supplied when it is needed is a beautiful thing; it is neither useless insight nor assistance arriving too late to be helpful. Ask God to supply you with wisdom in your words and in your timing when you speak to others.Luke 6:45A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.The contents of our thought lives, good or bad, are revealed in what we say and how we say it. When our words get us in trouble, the problem can usually be traced back to what we were thinking. It is crucial to invite God’s Spirit and God’s Word into our internal conversations, expecting his guidance and correction to generate beauty (see Matthew 12:34-35).Psalm 19:14May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.The kind of humility that produces beauty in thought and word begins with appointing the Lord as editor of both. The trust in God and refusal to be self-reliant described here and in Proverbs 3:5-6 fosters a life in which and through which God accomplishes beautiful things.

Question 4

How can my actions be beautiful?

Accepted Answer

Romans 10:14-15How can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”Paul quotes the first half of Isaiah 52:7 to point out that telling others about Jesus is itself a beautiful action.Exodus 35:25-35All the women who were skilled in sewing and spinning prepared blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen cloth. All the women who were willing used their skills to spin the goat hair into yarn. The leaders brought onyx stones and the special gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece. They also brought spices and olive oil for the light, the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense. So the people of Israel—every man and woman who was eager to help in the work the Lord had given them through Moses—brought their gifts and gave them freely to the Lord. Then Moses told the people of Israel, “The Lord has specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft. And the Lord has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others. The Lord has given them special skills as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth, and weavers. They excel as craftsmen and as designers.”Don’t overlook the reality that God often chooses to equip some people with special abilities intended for godly use. As we develop skills and abilities that we can use to serve God, we may hone those gifts by producing beautiful things for others. Consider how God has gifted you, and then imagine ways you might use your gifts to serve him.1 Timothy 2:10Women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.Beautiful conduct is the fruit of godly thoughts and character. Others are far more likely to pay attention to what we say about our relationship with God if they can see how it positively shapes our relationships with them. Godly actions have a wider and longer effect than mere words.

Question 5

How can my worship be beautiful?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 29:2Honor the Lord for the glory of his name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.The unlimited beauty of God’s revealed character can elevate your worship as your attention is drawn to him. Refuse to let superficial distractions of any kind draw you away from giving attention to God’s presence and to his worthiness of your best attention.Psalm 33:1Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord; it is fitting for the pure to praise him.Beautiful worship is the fruit of a beautiful relationship with God. When you become deeply aware of the beauty and majesty of God, your life will be an example of worship and celebration of God’s beauty and majesty.John 4:21-24Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”According to Jesus, right worship doesn’t depend on our location, but rather on the spirit and the truthfulness of our worship. Similarly, beautiful worship doesn’t depend as much on the externals as it does on our internal attention to and honest transparency before God. Why wouldn’t we long to offer God the very thing he is looking for?