What is beauty? It can be defined in several ways, depending largely on context. You could call a person and a landscape beautiful, but is it the same? I don't think so.
"Beautiful" is kind of a loosely used word. As already mentioned, people and nature can be described as beautiful. But so can animals, interior decorating, food, architecture, landscaping...even technological items, such as computers or cameras or mp3 players, could be described as beautiful (although maybe only by a very techie kind of person).
When I think of beauty, I tend to think of people. And that begs the question - what makes a person beautiful? And I really can't answer that question. Beauty, to humans, is subjective.
It can also be judgmental. I know I'm not the only one who sometimes makes a decision about a person's character based on their outward appearance before even meeting them. This, I know very well, is wrong.
The only definition of beauty really worth caring about is God's. And when God looks at people, He doesn't see their outward appearance, though He knows and loves everyone just the way they are. He created them, for crying out loud, and this fact convicts me time and again. But that's kind of off-topic.
God looks at people's hearts. And if their hearts are right, in a place of humility before Him, then to Him they are beautiful.
My desires are that 1) my heart is beautiful in God's sight, and 2) He helps me not to judge people by outward, false beauty, which fades.
True beauty is all that matters. Man, insignificant, mortal man, looks at the outward appearance and draws potentially limiting and even condemning conclusions as to a person's character. God, everlasting, perfect, awesome God, looks at the heart and sees man for what he or she really is, no matter how handsome/beautiful, well dressed, and put together they may seem on the outside.
