Key Verse: Verse 7 – “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."
Key Words: man looketh on the outward
Very early in life a child begins to learn the importance of physical beauty. The values of our society cannot be kept from their little ears. It is a dull child who fails to notice that the ugly do not win Miss America movies; and usually the ugly have fewer friends than do the beautiful.
It is amazingly surprising just how effectively we teach our children to appreciate the beauty cult. Why it is even taught in our age-old children’s stories. Yes, you read this right, our age-old children’s stories focus on beauty. How about...
The Ugly Duckling? This is a familiar story about an unhappy duck that was rejected by better-looking ducks, symbolizing the plight of every unattractive child. Fortunately for him, however, he had a beautiful swan inside which surfaced during adulthood. Oops, there it is, he was only acceptable after becoming beautiful.
Sleeping Beauty? Why wasn’t the story entitled Sleeping Ugly? Because ugly doesn’t sell unless, of course, in the end they become beautiful which makes her acceptable, like Cinderella, which is another story based on physical beauty.
Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer? You know him, don’t you? He wasn’t accepted because of his ugly shiny nose until his shiny nose could save Santa’s journey of delivering toys to all the good little boys and girls.
Dumbo, the Elephant? Of course, we know that he was ridiculed for his floppy ears until he could use them to fly.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs? You know, “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest (not ugliest) of them all?”
Let’s face it, our children are taught daily the importance of physical beauty. It’s everywhere they go. When was the last time you saw an ugly woman on a reality TV series trying to be the one chosen to be the possible future bride of a “prince charming”?
What a distorted value system we propagate! What irreparable damage is done to those who do not meet up to our “beauty” standards! Parents, our children are learning – and often we are the teachers of it – that outward beauty is far more important than inner beauty. Maybe the title of this article should not be “Beauty and the Beast,” but rather “Beauty Is the Beast.”
What to do:
✞ Teach your children the importance of inner beauty. See Galatians 5:22-23.
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