Anyone who knows me knows that I love listening to music. Whether it’s rock musicians like Bon Jovi and U2, country stars like Garth Brooks and George Jones, the blues of B.B. King, gospel greats like the Gaithers or the Happy Goodman Family, or of course contemporary Christian artists like MercyMe and Kari Jobe, I love it all. I love music.

It seems that nearly every minute I’m awake, a song is playing in the back of my mind, and a few weeks ago it was MercyMe the song, “Word of God Speak.” (see my post from 2 weeks ago). A couple of days ago, one song started playing in my thoughts that I have not heard or thought of in a very long time. As soon as I started humming the song, I looked it up on YouTube so that I could enjoy it. The song… “Beautiful Things” by Gungor.

The chorus goes like this:

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

The more and more I listened to this song, the more I thought about the lyrics. Everything God creates, the stars in the sky, the rolling hills dotted with the most beautiful bluebonnets, the cardinals, hummingbirds, and squirrels I see when I enjoy the cool breeze; it’s all beautiful. And every human being that God ordained into existence is also beautiful. No matter what the world tells you, you are beautiful, because you were made by an artist far more talented than any worldly artist, and that artist is God. The idea that He can make anything out of dust, out of nothing, and make it so beautiful amazes me.

It reminded me of a study I heard about several years ago. People were asked in a poll of what they considered to be beauty. The study showed how opinions changed over the years as America became more ethnically and racially diverse. I also read a more recent article about a new fashion designer’s definition of beauty.

All of this made me think, who cares what these people think, and why do we devote so much time in learning “what makes beauty.” The fact is this: we are all created by God and He sees us as beautiful. Are those supermodels in those magazines beautiful? Absolutely. But so is every single human being not in those magazines or on those runways.

So for everyone out there who thinks they aren’t handsome or beautiful, stop it! Enough worrying about what others think of you. There is only one opinion that truly matters, and that is the opinion of Jesus Christ, and He thinks you are beautiful.

My favorite Psalm, Psalm 139 says this: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (verses 13-14).

Like the verse says, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. When God looks at you, He sees beauty. You are His and you are loved. I am beautiful. You are beautiful. No matter what you look like or who you are, you are loved and you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Just like the old children’s song says, “Red, brown, yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.”

No matter who you are or what you look like, God loves you and thinks you are beautiful. I am far from perfect and I’ll admit that. One thing I catch myself doing from time to time is judging others before I get to know them based on what they look like. In the past I have looked at someone and thought, “That person looks scary, weird, odd, creepy, or intimidating.” That person may be the nicest person on the planet, or maybe that person isn’t. But shouldn’t I get to know that person before making a snap judgement?

Thankfully, I serve a God who doesn’t judge based on appearance. He loves us all, every part of us, as we are. So it doesn’t matter what I think or what the world thinks, you are beautiful. So if you are in a magazine, you are beautiful. If you’re not, you are beautiful. No matter if you’re black, white, brown, or any other color, you are beautiful. If you wear any type of religious clothing or don’t, you’re beautiful. Tall, short, overweight, underweight, physically fit, you are beautiful. Tattoos and piercings all over your body, just a few, or none at all, you are beautiful. Young or old, you are beautiful!

Another song that I love is “Beautiful” by MercyMe.

Days will come when you don’t have the strength 
When all you hear is you’re not worth anything 
Wondering if you ever could be loved 
And if they truly saw your heart they’d see too much 

You’re beautiful 
You’re beautiful 
You are made for so much more than all of this 
You’re beautiful 
You’re beautiful 
You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His 
You’re beautiful 

And praying that you have the heart to find 
Cause you are more than what is hurting you tonight 
For all the lies you’ve held inside so long 
And they are nothing in the shadow of the cross 

You’re beautiful 
You’re beautiful 
You are made for so much more than all of this 
You’re beautiful 
You’re beautiful 
You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His 
You’re beautiful 

Before you ever took a breath
Long before the world began
Of all the wonders He possessed
There was one more precious
Of all the earth and skies above
You’re the one He madly loves enough to die

You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful
In His eyes

You’re beautiful 
You are made for so much more than all of this 
You’re beautiful 
You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His 
You’re beautiful 
You’re beautiful
You are made for so much more than all of this 
You’re beautiful 
You’re beautiful 
You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His

Never believe the lie that you are not beautiful, because that is simply not true. When God looks at you, He sees beauty. You are treasured. You are sacred. You are HIS! He loves you so much and thinks that you’re beautiful to the extent that He laid down His life for you. That’s how much He thinks your beautiful!

So don’t listen to what the magazines, “experts,” or anyone else says. There is only one opinion that counts, the opinion of God Most High, and He thinks you’re beautiful. You are fearfully and wonderfully made!

Thank you Lord for your artwork, your beauty, your creation. You truly make beautiful things!

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Gungor. Beautiful Things. By Michael and Lisa Gungor, 2010. K-Love. Web. 15 June. 2015.

MercyMe. Beautiful. By Dan Muckala and Brown Bannister, 2010. K-Love. Web. 15 June. 2015.

New International Version. Bible Gateway. Web. 15 June. 2015.

Woolston, C. Herbert. “Jesus Loves the Little Children.” Child Bible Songs. Web. 15 June. 2015.

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Beautiful Things by Gungor

Beautiful by MercyMe