Nowhere in Scripture are we told to value people on the basis of how they look. We shouldn't measure people's worth by whether they are good-looking, have beautiful hair and trim bodies, or dress in the finest clothes.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating greasy hair, flabby frames, or drab dress. Nor am I saying that beauty is a vice. But I'm concerned about my own superficial values. I'm prone to judge people by the bone structure in their faces or by the clothes they wear. It's easy to show partiality to someone who looks sharp and wears the latest fashions. Rather than making it my goal to see as God sees, I tend to respond to the physical, skin-level qualities of a person.

A person's real worth lies far beneath the surface. The Bible tells us, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). It is "the hidden person of the heart" that God values (1 Peter 3:4).

People don't have to be physically attractive to acknowledge God in all their ways, or to be unselfish, merciful, and compassionate. It doesn't take a model's face to develop self-control, patience, wisdom, and courage. These are the qualities of truly beautiful people.    — Mart De Haan