External beauty is a sin. God wants His daughters to shy away from all outward attractiveness, and wearing drab, gray clothing is the mark of a true godly woman. And hoop earrings?? Don’t even start.

Does any of that sound familiar? It does to me. Sounds like the voices that can pop into our heads sometimes and tell us what it thinks is the height of spirituality — whether that idea is biblically founded or not.

Perhaps I’m the only one who’s ever struggled with reconciling outward beauty with the Christian life, but I have a feeling I’m not alone. Maybe you’ve long associated physical beauty with worldly sensuality, you’ve been told you aren’t pretty enough for anyone to ever notice you, or maybe every attractive girl (or guy) was an arrogant, selfish person who tainted your view of outward beauty.

But no matter your background and whatever your convictions are, I’d invite you to look with me at what the Bible truly says about this topic, and decide for yourself. That’s a much better idea than going with what our minds think is the godly way of doing things. So please keep reading — God’s take on the matter might surprise you!

In Christian circles, the conversation about beauty usually leads us to verses like 1 Peter 3:3-4 and Proverbs 31:30. But through the faithful teaching I’ve received over the years, I’ve realized that we often absorb only half of the meaning these verses contain. I suspect that many Christians, especially Christian girls, do not understand the full depth of these verses.

Let’s look at 1 Peter first and see what God is trying to tell us.

“Do not let your adornment be merely outward — arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel — rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” — 1 Peter 3:3-4, NKJV (emphasis mine)

Those of us who have convinced ourselves — or perhaps have been taught by others — that being outwardly beautiful or ‘adorned’ is a bad thing usually focus on the second part of this verse, ignoring the word “merely”.

That little word is very important.

That word means “nothing more than”, “alone”, or “purely”. Now read those verses again with the definition of “merely” in mind. Even do it out loud if you have to!

Do you see the real point Peter, and ultimately God, is getting at here? He did not tell them, “Do not let your adornment be outward”, or “Outward adornment is an abomination to the LORD our God”. Beauty is not condemned here! Rather we are told to not focus solely our physical “adornment” or beauty — Peter reminds us to add godly character to our loveliness.

But, God’s Word shouldn’t be read in a vacuum. Can Proverbs 31 be used to dispute the claim I’ve just made using 1 Peter?

“Charm can be deceptive, and beauty doesn’t last, but a women who fears and reverences God shall be greatly praised.” — Proverbs 31:30, TLB

Once again, when we read this passage without any preconceived ideas, we see that Solomon is not blatantly condemning outward loveliness! Nowhere in the Scriptures are women commanded to make themselves dull and unattractive as possible — rather we are told to value and pay attention to our character as much as we do our looks.

That said, we should definitely keep in mind the importance of self-control, obedience to our parents’ rules, and purity when choosing outfits and other beauty products. But that does not negate the fact God is not disappointed in us for looking lovely or wearing pretty things!

Just in case you’re still not entirely convinced, here’s two more Old Testament verses that supplement my argument.

“Like a lily among the thorns, is my darling among the maidens.” — Song of Solomon 2:2, BSB

“Let the king be enthralled by your beauty… all glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold, in embroidered garments she is led to the king” — Psalm 45:11, 13-14

So the next time you find a pair of earrings you like at the mall, or your family gives you a beautiful dress for your birthday, don’t be afraid to wear it! Just make sure that for all the attention you give to your looks, you’re paying as much attention to your character and attitude on the inside. God’s daughters are meant to embrace loveliness, inside and out!