A few years ago, I flew to a neighboring country to help facilitate a workshop. I felt a bit frumpy walking through the airport with disheveled hair and wrinkled traveling clothes when I noticed that almost all of the women around me were strikingly beautiful. Our workshop attendees later confirmed that their society puts a high value on appearance, and with aesthetic surgery readily available and fairly inexpensive, most women begin getting procedures done at a young age. In fact, if a woman is seen in her “natural state,” people assume that her family is too poor to invest in her looks. 

Physical beauty can be a tricky thing. There’s nothing inherently wrong with wanting to look attractive. In fact, the Bible describes several of our favorite heroines (Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Esther) as physically beautiful women. But there are also plenty of warnings in the Bible - starting with Lucifer himself, whose “heart became proud on account of his beauty” (Ezekiel 28:17) - about focusing too much on outward appearances.  

When we consider Scripture’s ideal of beauty, it’s easy to focus on the standard “true beauty” texts such as Proverbs 31:30 and 1 Peter 3:3-4. However, God recently directed my attention to Exodus and Moses' appearance after he had spent forty days and nights with God on Mt. Sinai.  

You know the story … when Moses finally came down from the mountain, the people were afraid to approach him because his face was literally glowing! You could say that Moses was the classic example of “not knowing he was beautiful,” since the text tells us that “he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD.” 

When I recall my walk through the airport that was populated by gorgeous women, I admit to being struck by a keen desire to be beautiful myself. But I can’t forget the radiant face of Moses, and I know in my heart that this is true beauty. How beautiful to realize that Christ’s ongoing work in my life - and in yours - has the end goal of cleansing us, and making us into a radiant church!