“He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” Isaiah 53:2
Was Jesus ugly? Did he have an "Everybody-thinks-he’s-a-gorgeous-hunk" type body? Wouldn’t Jesus choose a physical appearance that drew people to himself? He’s the only person who ever lived who had the permission to choose his body type!
Most Christians agree that this passage in Isaiah is a prophecy regarding Jesus. Look what it says about Jesus’ appearance: He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
Most Christians also agree that our culture is way too obsessed with physical appearances. Billions of dollars are spent each year on looking good, attractive, or even sexy. How can we help our children focus on what really matters?
- De-emphasize physical appearances – This doesn’t mean we should allow our kids to be lazy, unclean slobs. It does mean that we should comment less on their appearances than we do on their character.
- Emphasize true attractiveness – What drew people to Jesus, really? If his physical appearance was unremarkable, then it was his character and behavior that caused people to desire him. His “appeal” came from his honestly, compassion, open-armed acceptance of others, and his willingness to embrace people rejected by society. This is what matters. This is how we should define attraction to our kids.
- Watch your language! – We help define what is, and isn’t, attractive for our kids every time we point out someone who is beautiful or refer to someone as ugly. Try reserving these words for expressions of character: “That was so kind!” “Now that's being a good friend.” “What he did was ugly and unkind.”
In the end, our life is not about our appearance; it is about the substance of our character. Our kids can figure this out if we will help them define what it really means to be attractive.
Camper Corner
Who are the most attractive kids in your school? Now, stop and think about how you just defined someone as attractive. Is it based on their appearances, or on their character and behavior? Do you treat people at school in a way that causes them to be attracted to you?
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