We are not discussing needful reconstructive plastic surgery, but that which is purely cosmetic. While such things did not exist in Jesus’s day, the Bible provides guidelines and principles that we can use today.
Consider the following scriptures: 1 Peter 3:3-4 (NIV), “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.” And again, 1 Timothy 2:9-10 (NIV), “I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds,…”
Our focus should not be on the external, but rather on good works and the internal qualities that are pleasing to God. Jesus spoke of these “good works” in Matthew 5:16. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
All the things which are external are temporary. They end with this life. 2 Corinthians 4:18, (NIV), “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 1 Peter 1:24-25 (NIV), “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”
So what is our focus in this life? We live in and are influenced by a world that glorifies outward beauty. The Christian must daily work to direct his mind upward. Romans 12:2 (Philips Translation), “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves toward the goal of true maturity.” 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
Additional Resource:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1360: “What Is God’s Will, and How Do I Make It My Will?”
Deciphering the scriptural guidance needed to determine God’s will
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes
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