Assuming the question is referring to plastic surgery for cosmetic reasons, people choose to have plastic surgery because they are unhappy with the way they look. Whether someone is unhappy with the shape of their nose or with the wrinkles under their eyes, a person usually wants plastic surgery to appear more attractive to those in the world around them. With ideal images of what the “perfect” man or woman should look like plastered all over the media, it is possible to get caught up in all the hype. The media tends to send the message that we need to look a certain way in order to be desirable to those around us. It feels good to be desired and wanted, but who should we really be striving to please – man or God?
1 Peter 3:3,4 says, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” The scripture doesn’t specifically say we shouldn’t get plastic surgery of course, but it does teach us that how we look should not be our biggest concern, rather how we act and think.
We all know that outward beauty fades away. This is one of the big reasons people get plastic surgery to begin with! But inward beauty does not fade if cultivated and can even grow late into life. This inward beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit is what God is looking at, not our perfectly smooth foreheads. In fact, it says in 1 Samuel 16:7, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” So we see that God is not interested in how we appear on the outside. It doesn’t matter to Him. If God is not interested in a perfectly straight nose, then we shouldn’t be either. Rather, we need to focus on the things that God does care about, such as our hearts, thoughts and actions.
If you feel yourself getting caught up in what others say we should look like, remember that outward beauty doesn’t last anyway. Try as we like, no amount of plastic surgery will keep us looking young and “perfect” forever. Proverbs 31:30 says, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Nothing this world has to offer will last or will benefit us in the end, but what our heavenly Father has to offer us is eternal. We should be striving to please Him and cultivating our inward beauty rather than trying to please the world with our outward beauty which is temporary anyway.
Let’s take the advice given to us in Matthew 6:25 by our Lord Jesus, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes?” While having plastic surgery isn’t specifically mentioned, the principle is we should not be worrying about things like what we are going to wear and how we look. Instead focus on Psalm 37:4, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” In the end, only our wonderful, loving Father in heaven can truly give us complete happiness.
Additional Resource:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1307: “Is There a Christian Secret to a Happy Life?”
Finding biblical clues for living a life of Christian happiness
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CQ Rewind Show Notes
