Many are obsessed with outward appearance. This is good news for cosmetic companies and plastic surgeons, but bad news for those of us who do not measure up to Hollywood’s standards of physical perfection. Eventually, everyone who relies on physical attractiveness will suffer loss. When Paul said, “the outer man is decaying” (2 Cor. 4:16), he meant that, if the Lord should delay in His return, this body of clay will return to the earth from which it came. In the meantime, it grows old as if in preparation for that time of passing.
There is no fountain of youth — no secret potion or magic formula to keep us from growing old. All we have are a few camouflaging techniques to give us the illusion of delaying what is inevitable. “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment…” (Heb. 9:27). Upon what hope will we rest if our beauty is based on outward appearance?
When God chose a king to replace Saul, He sent His prophet to the house of Jesse. When the sons of Jesse passed before him, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!” But, he was wrong for the Lord said, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). It has been said that “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” Neither does the Lord judge real beauty on the basis of outward appearance.
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross wrote, “People are like stained glass windows; they sparkle when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within.” Shouldn’t we then be focusing our attention on spiritual renewal? (2 Cor. 4:16). It is the inner man who never grows old — that part of man which finds its beauty in the reflected likeness of Jesus. The truly beautiful are those in whose heart He has taken up residence.
— Glen Elliott —