She’s by far the prettiest girl in the whole school. Her hair is always perfect. Her smile: dazzling. And her figure can stop traffic- in the middle of the Indy 500. All of which combines to prompt one major, mystifying question: What is she doing with him?
That is the premise of a familiar French fairy tale, but the story continues to surprise and fascinate audiences all over the world. After appearing in print for the first time nearly three hundred years ago, Beauty and the Beast has since been repeatedly translated and adapted.
It’s an old story. But the message is as current as that new couple in your fourth period class that makes everyone wonder, What does she see in him? I mean, really, come on! Why would a gorgeous girl, looking like she just stepped off the cover of some magazine, go out with some dude with a bad haircut (on his face!)? Much less fall in love with him! Get real!
Of course, that’s a large part of the story’s appeal. However it is adapted, the Beauty and the Best story is about someone who is attracted to another person not because of appearance, but in spite of it. It’s about loving someone for inner qualities, like sensitivity and compassion. And part of the show’s charm is that love like that is rare.
That’s because too many of us have bought into the Cover Girl Myth. We’ve actually come to believe that looks are everything, that if a girl doesn’t look like a runway model or a guy like a movie star, they’re unattractive. But that’s a myth.
Television, magazine, movies and the Internet constantly drum into us a prepackaged image of what is beautiful and what is not. The media machine also touts the idea that beautiful=happy. Now, please understand that Christians aren’t obligated to be ugly. But we’re not obligated to look like a supermodel or a bodybuilder either. We need to realize that there’s a lot more to beauty than curvaceous figures, bulging biceps, and perfect hair. Beauty more often results from a person’s attitude and disposition. God chose David to be king of Israel, not because of his appearance or physical attributes, “for the Lord seeth not as man seeth,” the Bible says, “for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 KJV).
Often, in fact, beauty, as the world defines it, is not a blessing. Incredible as it may seem, sometimes beauty is the beast that drives a girl to depression or robs a boy of his self-esteem. There are many “beautiful” people who happen to be lonely, insecure, and unfulfilled.
The truth is, if you’re seeking happiness in the color of your hair or the cut of your clothes, you’re sure to be disappointed. Learn to look beyond the reflection in the mirror. Whether or not you’re pleased with the person you see there will have more to do with what you can’t see than with what you can.
Excerpted from Don’t Check Your Brains At The Door copyright 2011 by Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler. Thomas Nelson, Inc. pg. 157-159. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
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