Hey, did you happen to see…

…the most beautiful girl in the world.

Me and the most beautiful girl in the world

A few months back, I was at a conference, the theme of which was idolatry.  The speaker mentioned a number of things that can become idols to us.  One of the things he mentioned was the idol of beauty.

He went on to mention how some of us see the images of beautiful people in magazines or on TV and we can either become obsessed with trying to be like them or we can feel bad about ourselves because we aren’t like them.  In those cases, beauty has become an idol for us.

(I find it interesting that when you think of all the photo editing that goes on before a photo is published, even these “beautiful” people cannot even attain to their own image of beauty.)

Beware of edited photos
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/off-the-mark-slideshow/

On at least one occasion I have been at a conference for men where we are told something like “there will always be someone better or more beautiful” and so you need to learn to be content with the wife you have.  When I would hear that, I figured it must only be a problem for others, as I was already married to the the prettiest girl this side of the North Pole.

And for a long while I figured that since I was married to the most beautiful girl in the world, everyone else had to settle for less.  (Too bad, fellas.)

But the person speaking about idolatry got me to thinking—what is God’s perspective on all of this?

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.
(Genesis 1:31a, emphasis mine.)

Everything was very good.

So in God’s eyes, is there someone who isn’t beautiful?  Is it possible there is some person who is more beautiful than another?

Hardly seems possible.

I remember many years ago when I was at the University of New Hampshire, there would usually be a bunch of girls sitting by the window at Wildcat Pizza who would rate the guys as they walked by outside.  They would hold up cards, much like the judges at gymnastics competition.  (I thought I was doing pretty good when I got a 7.)

Does that seem like something God would do—rate people by their beauty?

I don't think so.

And so—this is for you married guys—I’ve come to realize that you, too, can be married to the most beautiful girl in the world.  And you have to neither change wives nor change your wife.

You only need to change your perspective to that of God’s.

God, help me to see people through Your eyes.