The resurrection points to the importance of our bodies. Gnosticism claims the body is bad, but Scripture says our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (6:19). We glorify God by taking care of our bodies, but we can go too far if we seek to glorify them now rather than waiting for God to do this in eternity. One day, we’ll receive glorified bodies and be presented without spot or wrinkle (15:5–53; Eph. 5:27). But even better than this, we’ll gaze on our beautiful Savior.

The beauty industry is rapidly changing and growing, and Gen Zers and millennials are leading the way. According to Revieve, a beauty and wellness platform, “Gen Z is changing the face of beauty.” In their eyes, beauty is defined by “freedom of individuality, authenticity, and diversity.” It’s about being yourself but also about being your best self.

Gen Zers seek brands that support their values and complement their identity, so they look to the wellspring of all wisdom—YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

This fount provides a never-ending supply of make-up tutorials, beauty hacks, and product reviews. According to a 2023 survey, millennials spend an average of $2,670 per year on beauty products, followed by Gen Zers at $2,048; and 64–67 percent say it’s because of social media’s influence.

As a millennial, I’m aware of this influence, yet I still willingly give in. When I don’t like what I see in the mirror, a voice whispers, “We can change that.” An article here. A TikTok tutorial there. Another order on Amazon. But in the end, I’m left feeling empty. And the pattern repeats.

Our longing for “authentic” beauty drives us to a cacophony of voices that promise solutions but lead to dissatisfaction. Trends change. Fads fade. Anything “authentic” is just another counterfeit.

Then where are we to look?

Look to Christ’s Beauty

What we find in God’s Word turns our culture’s definition of beauty upside down through the life and death of God’s Son. We were designed to treasure beauty; we just look for it in the wrong places. Here are four reasons we’re to look to Jesus, not social media, to satisfy our desire for authentic beauty. 

1. Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory.

When Moses asked to see God’s glory, God told him no one could see his face and live (Ex. 33:20). But he’d be willing to show Moses his back. As he passed by Moses, God spoke these words:

The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation. (34:6–7)

When Moses came down from the mountain, his face was shining. To see God’s glory, to gaze on his beauty, is to know his character and be in his presence. This is why David says his one request is to gaze on the beauty of the Lord (Ps. 27:4). He knows God as the merciful and majestic King over all creation and desires to behold him by worshiping him in the temple.

Some caught glimpses of his glory, but no one had ever seen God (John 1:18)—until Jesus came.

Read More