The Standard of Beauty
Pastor Ryan and Cathy Story
Truth be told, I am a bit of an awkward guy. I love to think of myself as a conversational artist, but that is hardly the case. When I was first pursuing my wife, I was put in the dreaded “friend zone” about three times. I think it has to do with, instead of just asking her out for coffee, I asked her if she would want to “meet at a local establishment for a preferable brewed Colombian bean.” In retrospect, I see how that made me look like a crazy person. In my defense, I was attempting to be poetic.
Reading the poetry of any kind can be difficult. The Song of Solomon is no different. I love chapter 6. The bridegroom begins to dote on his bride. Being an awkward guy, I am weirdly drawn to each and every description he uses to describe his bride’s beauty, “Your hair is like a flock of goats leaping down the slopes of Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of ewes that have come up from the washing; all of them bear twins; not one among them has lost its young” (Song of Solomon 6:5-6).
Comparing a woman’s hair to goats coming down from a hill is kind of awkward. Commenting on the fact that her teeth are all present and clean is kind of awkward. However, the sentiment behind both of those is amazing. Before the bridegroom comes off as weird, he tells his bride, “Turn away your eyes from me, for they overwhelm me” (Song of Solomon 6:5). Throughout these few verses in chapter 6, the bridegroom is madly in love with his bride and he is ensuring he vocalizes it. Even if it is awkward to our standards today, this man was overwhelmed by the beauty of the one who his soul loved.
From the moment a person weds, their spouse becomes the standard of beauty. This truth applies to both men and women. Song of Solomon chapter 6 is talking from the male perspective. Every husband reading this must take to heart that their wife is the standard of beauty until we see Christ face to face. Men, your wife is the most beautiful person in your life. She is the standard of attractiveness. This has to be true in our hearts as men. Unfortunately for men, we are mostly wired to seek beauty with our eyes. If it is not, that is when our hearts begin to wander, our eyes begin to look, and our marriages begin to crumble. If you are thinking, well I am no good with words, remember the bar for romance in the Bible is “you have nice hair” and “ you have all your teeth and they are clean.” Dollars to doughnuts you can speak some sort of encouragement to your spouse.
Pastor Ryan and Cathy Story
Truth be told, I am a bit of an awkward guy. I love to think of myself as a conversational artist, but that is hardly the case. When I was first pursuing my wife, I was put in the dreaded “friend zone” about three times. I think it has to do with, instead of just asking her out for coffee, I asked her if she would want to “meet at a local establishment for a preferable brewed Colombian bean.” In retrospect, I see how that made me look like a crazy person. In my defense, I was attempting to be poetic.
Reading the poetry of any kind can be difficult. The Song of Solomon is no different. I love chapter 6. The bridegroom begins to dote on his bride. Being an awkward guy, I am weirdly drawn to each and every description he uses to describe his bride’s beauty, “Your hair is like a flock of goats leaping down the slopes of Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of ewes that have come up from the washing; all of them bear twins; not one among them has lost its young” (Song of Solomon 6:5-6).
Comparing a woman’s hair to goats coming down from a hill is kind of awkward. Commenting on the fact that her teeth are all present and clean is kind of awkward. However, the sentiment behind both of those is amazing. Before the bridegroom comes off as weird, he tells his bride, “Turn away your eyes from me, for they overwhelm me” (Song of Solomon 6:5). Throughout these few verses in chapter 6, the bridegroom is madly in love with his bride and he is ensuring he vocalizes it. Even if it is awkward to our standards today, this man was overwhelmed by the beauty of the one who his soul loved.
From the moment a person weds, their spouse becomes the standard of beauty. This truth applies to both men and women. Song of Solomon chapter 6 is talking from the male perspective. Every husband reading this must take to heart that their wife is the standard of beauty until we see Christ face to face. Men, your wife is the most beautiful person in your life. She is the standard of attractiveness. This has to be true in our hearts as men. Unfortunately for men, we are mostly wired to seek beauty with our eyes. If it is not, that is when our hearts begin to wander, our eyes begin to look, and our marriages begin to crumble. If you are thinking, well I am no good with words, remember the bar for romance in the Bible is “you have nice hair” and “ you have all your teeth and they are clean.” Dollars to doughnuts you can speak some sort of encouragement to your spouse.
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