Personal Philosophy of Appropriateness and Beauty
“Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.” C. T. Studd.
Each day Christians face the spiritual battlefield. Sin and temptation press in from every
direction. One thing that Christians should be cautious over is what they let enter their heart and
mind. The inevitable question is how to discern what is appropriate and what is beautiful. How
do you choose what to meditate on?
Today with so many bright, fast, and pretty things to amuse and entertain us, Christians
face the question of what is appropriate and how to discern what is good. As Christians, we are
called to guard our hearts and minds. How we feed our hearts effects the rest of our life. The
heart is deceitful and full of sin (Jeremiah 17:9). What we muse on imprints within our memory
and influences what we view as acceptable and pleasing. A secular world produces what
entertains sinful desires and leads the mind to inappropriate topics. The question of what type of
media to enjoy is left almost entirely within a Christian’s freedom. There are certainly art and
music that appeal to wicked desires. What is flagrantly sinful and contrary to scripture should be
avoided (Matthew 5:27-28). When I am deciding on what art, music, movies, or books to enjoy,
there are four principles I like to keep in mind.
First, all I do is for the glory of God. My decisions will be called to account before the
Lord. My goal is to glorify Him, so I don’t want to amuse myself with things that capture sinful
activities. What scripture blatantly prohibits, I do not want to tolerate. If I tolerate what is sinful
in my entertainment, then those things can become acceptable in my heart. So, I remain far from
sinful topics to remain sensitive to sin. This is to maintain a clear conscience before the Lord and
to be able to account that I chose what is appropriate.
Second, I refuse to enjoy that which is impure or unclean. There are three things that I
avoid: sexual content, coarse language, and pointless gore, death, and violence. These are the
things that I am convicted over and prick my conscience. My desire is to be sensitive to what is
against scripture, so that I do not stray into temptation. If it stirs up sin, then I must turn, repent,
and leave behind what leads my heart toward wickedness.
Third, life is brief, and I want to steward it well. My time should be used to love what is
beautiful and godly. If I follow the previous guidelines, then I will be considering art and music
that reflects what is true. Christians are called to consider the common things around us. In the
Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls on us to consider the lilies (Matthew 6:28). These beautiful
flowers are beautiful because God created them that way. This passage outlines the truth that the
lilies reflect. Though they are beautiful, they fade, and we do not need to worry because God
tends to even the flowers.
Fourth and lastly, what I choose to view and listen to affects my witness to unbelievers. I
claim the name of Christ, but if I choose to love art that is against Him, then that is cause for
concern. What I love reflects on my Savior, and I should reflect Him to others accurately. My
witness to others is protected if I love what is appropriate and honorable to Him. My own heart is
secure if I love what God loves, and I can display that to unbelievers. Being careful will also help
relationships with other Christians. In Romans 14, we are commanded to pursue peace and
building our brother up, not making him stumble. Whenever we fellowship, the goal should be to
point others to Christ, not to place stones on their path.
Now, the question is how to define what is beautiful. There are many pretty and lovely
things in the world. However, it is rare that there is a wholly beautiful piece of art or music. My
standard is the workmanship of God. He created the world and all that is within it and called it
good. All of Creation, even the spiders, snakes, and frogs, are good, and I would say beautiful.
True beauty calls the mind to reflect on the Lord. The sunset, newborn babies, the misty peaks of
the Rocky Mountains are objectively beautiful. God’s cunning design and care are seen in His
Creation. Humanity reflects God and is therefore beautiful. We are created in His image.
Can created humanity make something beautiful? Of course. Humans reflect God when
we use our creativity and imagination. Though human attempts are feeble and falter, art can
capture a glimpse of beauty. Beautiful art is crafted with precision and care with aesthetic
techniques to capture what is true about humanity, God, and Creation. Some art can be frivolous
and pretty for prettiness’ sake. There is nothing wrong with pretty art. We are called to enjoy the
gifts of life and prettiness is a gift.
Some specific examples of beautiful art are the works of Rembrandt and Monet.
Rembrandt is known for his paintings of biblical scenes and self-portraits. He captures real
emotion – pain, joy, pleasure, laughter – in a beautiful way. His self-portrait, while laughing,
makes me reflect and be grateful that God created emotion and happiness and gave us the ability
to laugh and joke and tease. Monet paints scenes that you must imagine through a mist. His
emphasis on light and capturing the impression of a piece highlights how incredible Creation is.
Light, water lilies, and haystacks are all beautiful parts of Creation.
Some specific examples of beautiful music are the works of Tchaikovsky and Debussy.
Music and the skill of musicians reminds me of the beauty of order. The ability to arrange sound,
design, and use instruments is an incredible thing. Whenever I hear Tchaikovsky’s or Debussy’s
music, I am amazed at how humans can capture stories and feelings through sound. The thrill
and joy I get from music is a gift from the Creator of music.
While pondering art and music, it is important to keep in mind if what is being reflected
is appropriate and beautiful. There are four guidelines that I personally follow in deciding what
to enjoy in God’s creative design, these delights to the ears and eyes.