Beauty is Biblical: Why God Created Beautiful Things

Have you ever stopped to think about why beauty exists?

Why does a sunrise make us pause? or why does music move us? What about those flowers, art, architecture, colour and fragrances that awaken something deep within us? What is it about them that sparks that light within us?

See, beauty is not necessary for survival. I am when was the last time you needed that beautiful sunset to keep you alive really? We do not need flowers in our homes or beautiful melodies filling our rooms and yet, God surrounded us, His creation, with beauty.

When we realise that, we realise that there must be something else going on, something important because God is not happenstancial (if thats a word), God is intentional. And that means that beauty is not an accident, it actually reveals something about the heart of our Creator!

God is the Source of Beauty

From the very beginning of Scripture, we see God creating with intention. Take genesis for example, telling us that after creating the heavens and the earth, God looked at what He had made and declared it good. Not just functional or practical, it was excellent to behold, it was beautiful.

The thing is that God could have created a world that simply worked, everything could have been created practically, for its use and only so.. think of a tree existing only to provide oxygen and flowers only for reproduction.. pretty straightforward, maybe some guys idea of real heaven on earth but if we take a moment longer to to pause on the thought, instead what God did was create colour, variety, He created fragrance...He created oceans, mountains, gardens and skies filled with absolute wonder! The world was not only designed to sustain life; it was designed to delight us.

When we truly see this, when we take it in a little deeper, Beauty is one of the ways God communicates His goodness to us.

Beauty Points Beyond Itself

Despite all the wondrous revelations of God which beauty holds, the danger is that we sometimes, actually quite often, misunderstand beauty. We've got used to worshipping beauty, or even completely rejecting it, both of which miss the whole point because beauty was never created to replace God, it was created to reveal Him!

Imagine if when we saw something beautiful, instead of admiring the thing itself, it drew our hearts upwards? Like a carefully orchestrated piece of music reminding us of harmony, a walk through a beautiful garden reminding us of God's creativity, an intricately crafted object reminding us that God Himself, is a Creator.

What if we saw beauty like a signpost pointing towards the One who made it all?

You Were Created Beautifully

In the same way we explored in our article, "What Does God Say About Your Identity and Worth?", your value does not come from your achievements, appearance or what others think of you, it comes from the fact that you were created by God.

Psalm 139 tells us that we are beautifully, and wonderfully made...the God who created the whole universe, also carefully formed you. The God who designed oceans and mountains designed your DNA.. you are not just a happenstance (used it again) from your parents, you are created, designed, carefully thought through from the maker of heaven and earth, that makes you His workmanship.

Ephesians 2:10 uses the Greek word "poiema", describing something made, crafted and created with intention, not accidental or mass produced, but the work of a master creator, The master creator Himself.

Beauty and Worship

Now, I'm sure you've noticed how throughout Scripture, beauty is constantly connected with worship. Remember the temple that was filled with beautiful materials, precious stones, craftsmanship and fragrance? God instructed His people to create things of excellence for His glory.

Why?

Because beauty can be an immense offering, the desire to create something beautiful is not automatically pride, it dosnt have to be something boastful or arrogant, when surrendered to God, the creativity that is evident in beautiful things becomes worship.

Think when you have friends over and you prepare a beautifully meal to share. Or a thoughtfully designed and decorated home... that carefully painted piece of art, or your favourite fragrance created with skill and care.

All of these can become expressions of gratitude.

Beauty as Stewardship

So let me lay it out how I see it, as Christian women, we do not need to fear beauty, all we simply need is to understand its place.

Beauty is not our identity...Christ is.

Beauty does not determine our worth...God does.

But beauty can become a way we reflect the One who made us! When we create, cultivate and appreciate beauty, we are responding to that which God has already placed around us.

Reflect with Me?

Where do you see God's beauty most clearly?

Have you ever viewed beauty as something shallow rather than something that can point towards God?

How could you cultivate more beauty in your everyday life as an act of worship?

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