Wisdom's view of Beauty

Proverbs 5:18-19 ESV

Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth,  a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.

Proverbs 11:22 ESV

Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.

Proverbs 31:30 ESV

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Wisdom recognizes true beauty

Good created things to be beautiful. He not only creates for form and function, but also aesthetically. Appreciation for beauty is found in the word of God. Proverbs and song of Solomon has some examples.

Wisdom recognizes the dangers of beauty

Charm is deceitful. This means that physical beauty can deceive us into making foolish decisions and judgment. Physical beauty can captivate us into adultery or other sins. Don't overlook serious character flaws because of how attractive someone looks.

Physical beauty is vanity. It means that beauty is fleeting. We are getting older and getting less physically attractive over time.

Not only that, but the worldly trends of beauty change. From culture to culture, decade to decade, even year to year... The definition of beauty changes.

We believe that being beautiful and attractive will bring us success and fulfillment. That if we looked better, we would be happier. But we cannot achieve our goal of being beautiful enough. The goalposts are always moving and changing.

Wisdom seeks she finds true beauty

Outside beauty is deceiving and fleeting. But inner beauty, character, is true beauty. This is what should be sought out and pursued.

1 Peter 3:3-4 ESV

Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

We are not saying that beauty is bad. We should appreciate it. But that which matters more is inner beauty, character and godliness. Grow your inner beauty. This is where our emphasis should be. It will not fade, but grow over time.

Jesus is the personification of this beauty. He did not come as a handsome man, but an average looking Joe. His worth was in His character.

Isaiah 53:2 ESV

For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

The wisdom of self control

Proverbs 25:28 ESV

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

Titus 2:11-12 ESV

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

Rev. Dwight Yoo

A life without self control is like a city without walls.

Centrality of self-control

A city with no walls is defenseless. It was open to attack by wild animals, bandits, and other problems. Lack of self control leads to all sorts of problems. The inability to hold back impulses can destroy your life. Holding a job requires self control. We don't always feel like doing work. But if we only worked when we felt like it, work would never get done well or in a timely manner. But this is not only for our jobs, but our relationships, our prayer life, our families, and other parts of our lives.

Challenge of self-control

Self control is not only vital, but incredibly difficult. We should look up to those whose lives are marked by self control.

Today's culture says that restraints and boundaries are bad. Self control is seen as repression. Society says that we should do as we feel.

Our desires are wrong. We want the wrong things. Or we want good things too much. Overeating, laziness, and others like it are excesses of those good things we want. We look to fill our spiritual desires with other things. We try to fill our spiritual thirst with other things, but we are unsatisfied. We keep clamoring for more. We end up in prisons of our own making. Unrestrained desires will ruin our lives.

Cultivating self-control

Actively managing our lives and desires leads to bountiful results. But we cannot reach self control by sheer effort. How so? Consider this, if an overweight man decides to lose weight. They pursue losing weight and finally become fit. At the end they may end up fearful of regaining weight. They are enslaved to working out, eating right, and healthy habits. They may gain workout partners, but they may lose old friends. They can't enjoy food anymore.

So how then do we cultivate it?

Cry out to God for self-control.

Set boundaries in our life with community support and accountability.

Find contentment at the feet of Christ

Pride goes before destruction

Proverbs 11:2 ESV

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.

Proverbs 15:25, 33 ESV

The Lord tears down the house of the proud but maintains the widow’s boundaries.   The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 18:12 ESV

Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 23:17-18 ESV

Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.  Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 27:1-2 ESV

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.  Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

Rev. Dan Whang

We live in a world that gets us to showcase and glorify ourselves. This world encourages pride. A working definition of pride is elevating ourselves above others, even above God.

Expressions of pride

Competitive Spirit (unhealthy kind)

People don't generally see themselves as proud. But often people want to be richer, smarter, etc. We measure ourselves against others. So what is so wrong about this competitive spirit? We treat people different based on whether they are smarter, richer, etc.

Boasting

We feel slighted when we don't get proper credit. We want to talk about our accomplishments.

Insecure self-absorption

When people try to give you advice or feedback, we take it personally. It is about our self worth. We can't stand it when other people are having fun and making so much noise. We hate all these posts on Facebook because they are doing so well.

Spiritual pride

Some of us do spiritual things for the approval of others. We act humble for public eyes.

Envy

We resent others because we want what they have. We sulk when they succeed and rejoice when others fall. If we admit envy, it means we are small and petty.

If you think you don't suffer from this, consider those you are critical towards. Why are you always looking for fault in them? This is likely envy... A symptom of pride in your heart.

Dangers of pride

Pride leads to destruction

Destruction doesn't sometimes follow pride. It always follows pride. From the titanic to the tower of Babel, God always destroys the proud. It is almost like a promise.

The proud can never learn

The proud become hardened in their ways. They stop learning because they are always in the right. Even their opinions are right! Eventually, they will not seek the wisdom from God.

God stands opposed to the proud

He will tear down the house of the proud. He calls them to repent and draw close to God. The proud set themselves in enmity towards God.

How to cultivate humility

Remember Jesus is the humble king and keep your gaze on Him

Jesus was never competitive or proud. Instead He came to serve and die for his enemies. This is how we grow humility. We focus on Jesus and become stunned by the grace of God. The vision of Jesus on the cross dying for our sins will humble us.

Remember that Jesus draws near to the humble and honors them

Humility is not hating yourself. It is not low self esteem. It is to stop focusing on ourselves. We are to lose sight of ourselves in the glory of God.

Application

Make your greatest boast in the Lord Jesus Christ and his crucifixion.