Is Maintaining a Good Physical Appearance Vanity?
Here's to fighting religious conceptions and allowing you to pamper yourself
When I was a kid, I was an ugly duckling. I was the small rotund kid that sat in the back of the class in middle school with a Dora haircut and hid my curves in an oversized sweatshirt because I didn’t even know the concept of boys yet and didn’t really care to know.
Now that I’m older I’ve grown into my appearance and get hit on a lot in public and my IG DMs (I’m not bragging, I’m just stating facts) but that is probably only because I choose to wear makeup that enhances my facial features even though I only slab on a little lipstick, eyeshadow, and mascara.
I really don’t like the full-faced look as it weighs down my pores. However, when I take off that makeup at the end of the day I look into the mirror and see that baby face staring back at me and wonder if people will ever really love me for me or only because I appear to be beautiful.
I feel I could do better. I feel I could work on my physique as I am still on the heavier side and would prefer to lose weight for the sake of my lifespan to maintain healthy cholesterol (I love cheeses), blood sugar (I love sweets and porous cakes), and strength training to maintain my muscle tone as I hear that as women age the atrophy in muscle mass can greatly hurt their health. These are obviously thoughts that I didn’t really think about in my early 20s but now that I am approaching the cusp of 30 they become more of a concern. To be honest, I am basically sedentary which is bad because I have to sit in front of a computer screen all day to study.
We can look at what scripture says about maintaining a physical physique.
For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. 1 Timothy 4:8
So, within a scriptural standpoint, we do have permission to maintain our physical physique but keep in mind that we should remain godly in Jesus and not become vain. It really is a matter of the heart and how we approach it individually with the Lord.
So, I’ve come to realize in my heart that maintaining physical physic is good for your health. It is the armor to your body’s organs. You feel better about yourself; you have more energy and you sleep better at night.
If you still feel discouraged about investing in your body just look at other Biblical figures who valued their physique and appearance:
King David was handsome and was a man after God’s own heart.
He was a warrior and likely had a strong physical physique as he had to enter into war to overcome his enemies in battle…. Yet he remained tenderhearted and sensitive to God’s heart.
Now he was ruddy, with attractive eyes and a handsome appearance. The Lord said, “Go and anoint him. This is the one.” 13 So Samuel took the horn full of olive oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day onward. 1 Samuel 16:1-3
And the women sang to one another as they celebrated,
“Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.” 1 Samuel 18:7
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Psalm 51:1
Daniel was also handsome and studious
young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. (Daniel 1:4)
Rachel was shapely and beautiful (Genesis 29:17)
Rachel was one of the wives of Jacob. He worked seven years to win her over and loved her very much.
So ladies don’t feel bad if you’re a little curvy. It’s likely genetics and part of your natural beauty.
Keeping a wardrobe doesn’t mean you are vain it means you value yourself
A lot of people do not have the money to be rich but just because you are poor doesn’t mean you have to dress in rags and live a dirty lifestyle.
In my experience going abroad on mission trips to Costa Rica, I have witnessed a lot of poverty. Yet, there are people who still value their appearance, and with the little that they have dress nice and smell great with their creams, colognes, perfumes, and cosmetics.
When I came back to the U.S. I realized how these people in third-world countries assume that we are all rich because that is just what they perceive from 1st world cultures like the U.S. on the television. I too never realized the need in the U.S. as there are poor populations of people who also mask their poverty by maintaining a nice appearance.
The truth is there is still poverty in the U.S. but I’ve read reports of people who also like to value their appearance no matter their job or status as a working class citizen or student. They set their mind to the grind and even though they say that no one believes “they are poor” because they “look rich” they call it a “Bougie Broké” which when you think of it comically makes sense because they value themselves and want to maintain a presentable appearance no matter their status. As they should. We’re all just working hard to live a better lifestyle for ourselves and for our families.
So when I think of religious people who point at other people in the church who look nice and say they are vain I think about scriptures in the Bible like these:
Esther kept a queen’s beauty regime
Before a girl’s turn came to go into King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics Esther 2:12
If we are children of God, why not pamper ourselves every now and then? We are worth it.
Jesus even commands us to avoid being religious and obvious in prayer as to maintain devotion in secrecy to God in our fasting and prayer when He says
But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, Matthew 6:17
My dad used to say, what husband wants to come home to a wife who has been praying all day and smells like rotten onions (a Puerto Rican saying) The church would laugh. Because it’s true. A married woman should keep her marriage flame alive by dressing well for her husband and smelling good otherwise he might go looking for that somewhere else. Dad’s words from a man after God’s own heart not mine.
All Your garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made You glad. Psalm 45:17
Conclusion
God loves you no matter your economical status. Whether you are fat, skinny poor or rich what he is after is the status of your heart for Jesus. Jesus died for the whole world (John 3:16-17) He knows that poverty exists in the world (Matthew 26:11) yet when we receive Him into our hearts as Lord and Savior we are elevated to the status of becoming Children of God (1 John 3:1) and ROYAL Priesthood as we are His OWN SPECIAL PEOPLE in Jesus Christ.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 1 Peter 2:9
So do not feel bad for taking care of your outward appearance. You are worth smelling good and dressing nice because you are at your full self confidently. It is a great boost to your self-esteem when you treat yourself to a nice outfit and fresh scents because when you look nice you feel that you are at your best self.