BEAUTY IS VAIN – Proverbs 31:30a
Proverbs 31:30a Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain:
The virtuous woman understands that it is not the outward appearances that are the most important thing but rather the inward manifestations of the heart. A virtuous woman is more concerned about the condition of her heart knowing that the inward beauty will affect her outward appearance. If she concentrates her attention to that which man sees yet has an ugliness of heart, that inward ugliness will ruin any outward beauty.
Outward beauty can be deceitful because what one sees on the outside does not reveal the inward character. If all one did was look at the outside of an individual to determine if they had character, then they could easily be deceived. Imagine looking at a businessman and seeing that he is financially well off. You could say to yourself, that man is so successful; he must be a man of character. However, what you do not know is that the man often visits prostitutes. That man’s outward appearances may be desirable, but the condition of his heart is such that his life is in vain and you are the one who is deceived.
You cannot judge a person’s virtue by their outward appearance. Outward appearances can be deceiving. This does not mean that a person of character has a bad outward appearance. It simply means do not try to judge a person simply upon their outward appearance. Instead, it should be your goal to understand the real man by looking at their heart. While you cannot open them up and look at their heart, you can examine the works of their hands because by their fruit you shall know them.
If all you are doing is looking at the outward appearance, you are looking too shallow and will be deceived as to who the real person is. When you meet a new person, do not look at the new suit and beautiful completion in order to determine if this individual is worthy of your attention. Instead, you should closely examine the outward manifestations of inward character so as to understand who the real individual is. The more you understand the inward character, the less likely you will be deceived by the outward appearances.
A person’s outward appearance does not tell you a thing. Jesus told you about Lazarus and the rich man. The rich man appeared to have life in control but it was Lazarus who is spending eternity with God while the rich man is destroyed in hell. You cannot assume that someone has inward character based upon their outward appearance. Instead you must diligently learn to examine their heart and mind if you desire not to be deceived by the outward appearance of man. Once you learn the character of the heart, the outward appearance will not deceive you. Boaz was willing to marry Ruth because he understood that Ruth had proven her inward character to him and the community.
Do not make your outward appearances your primary focus if you know that your heart and mind are not right with God. Instead, it is your duty to ensure that your heart and mind are right with God so that God can use you to spread HIS light around the world. It is important that you do not have a negative outward appearance which drives people away from you, however, this should not be your primary concern. The most important thing is your inward character, if that is right, then you can focus some attention on the outward appearance so as to be as affective for God as you can be. Virtue resides in the heart and mind; do not look at outward appearances to find inward character.