Beauty -- what comes to mind when you think of that word? Most likely, you start to think of someone you know or someone you’ve seen on the internet who looks flawless in their appearance. Maybe it's a girl with long, flowing blond hair, big blue eyes, tan skin and a thin waist. Maybe it’s a boy you saw at the mall who made your jaw actually drop when you saw how broad his shoulders were or when he flashed you a smile with his shiny pearly whites. Let's think, though: are looks really what makes someone possess beauty?

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines beauty as "the qualities in a person or a thing that give pleasure to the senses or the mind." With that definition in mind, beauty isn’t subject to looks alone. Something that gives pleasure to our mind can be beautiful. However, society today doesn’t seem to really hold to that definition. Outer appearances are so crucial to people in our day and age that what people have to offer our minds isn’t as important as what they have to offer our eyes.

I often find myself admiring girls I see on the internet and wishing I could look like them. I think to myself, If I just had her body, people would like me so much more. Honestly, that might be true because outer beauty is what catches people’s attention these days. In this case, maybe we need to reevaluate society’s definition of beauty. According to 1 Peter 3:3-4, “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.” How awesome is that verse? Just think: regardless of what people on Earth think about beauty, to God, beauty comes from what’s on the inside.

Whenever I catch myself feeling insecure or spending too much time trying to make myself live up to society’s standards of beauty, I think about that particular verse. Beauty shouldn’t be limited to qualities that are pleasing to the eyes, but rather, should come from what’s on the inside. Think about the things we are passionate about, the way we love and care for other people, our thoughts, our spirit, our lifestyle and the representation of Christ in our lives. If people could just realize that what is on the outside is so insignificant when looking at the bigger picture of life, there would be so many more relationships blossoming. If people didn’t look at someone and think, Well, they’re not that pretty, so I’m not going to talk to them, and instead gave that person a chance, despite whether or not they were physically beautiful, the world would be filled with so much more loving and strengthening relationships, as well as far fewer insecurity issues in individuals.

I know that is easier said than done. It’s part of our sinful nature to judge people based on the way they look, but realizing that beauty from the inside is so much more important than beauty on the outside is so crucial. The amount of individuals on this earth who are constantly struggling with insecurity is alarming. The fact that girls feel the need to make themselves throw up just to fit society’s standards of beauty is horrible. The way guys feel that they have to take steroids and hit the gym multiple times a day to be good enough is saddening. We shouldn’t put such a large amount of pressure on people to look a certain way; rather, we should start getting to know what’s on the inside of a person -- what they stand for, what they care about, what they believe in, what makes them happy -- and realize that those are the things that bring beauty to this world.

God doesn’t look at us and think, Eh, if she had a little less fat on her body, maybe I would find her beautiful. Rather, he looks at our inner self and finds our beauty there, and we should do the same. Putting such a high face value on appearances only drives people to become insecure in themselves, but pushing people to grow in who they are as a person is so much more rewarding. So next time you hear the word "beauty," try not to immediately think of an attractive individual; instead, think of someone who gives pleasure to your mind, someone whom you look up to, someone who loves selflessly, someone whom you see Christ in -- and maybe then the definition of beauty won’t be limited to what’s pleasing to our eyes.