When families come together over the holidays, inevitably there are picture-taking sessions. Everybody lines up, and someone gives the universal command to “Say cheeeeese!”

Faces smile and cameras click, but when we inspect the finished product, results are mixed. Sprinkled amongst the happy poses we see faces with closed eyes, artificial smiles, goofy expressions, or strained looks. None of us are picture-perfect. Even in pictures.

We do strive for that, though, primping in front of mirrors and dressing in flattering clothes. Thinking we look pretty good, we smile for the camera with confidence, but often when we see the photo, we grimace and say, “Delete that.”

Never being satisfied with our exteriors probably emanates from not being satisfied with our interiors. But is that good or bad? Isn’t it prideful to think we really look good? Wouldn’t it also be pompous to assume we’ve “got it all together” on the inside, too?

According to Scripture, what’s happening outside and inside are polar opposites. Proverbs 31 says that dwelling on external beauty is vain. Working on being charming is defined as downright deceitful. (v. 30)

Yet we insist on deleting photos of ourselves that aren’t attractive, which encourages us to play mind games about external beauty. So we don’t like what we see in our pictures, but what are we supposed to do with those feelings of inadequacy and displeasure?

We’re to walk away from the camera and look inside instead.

What does it mean to focus on the inside? God details it for us. We’re to dwell on things that are worthy of praise, are lovely, pure, commendable, honorable, true, and just. (Philippians 4:8) If we do that, our insides will become beautiful, and something else interesting happens, too.

Our outsides, no matter what they physically look like, begin to take on a special attractiveness that is radiated from the inside out. We’ve all known people who are beautiful on the inside. We enjoy spending time with them and are willing to sacrifice just to be in a relationship with them. We can’t usually explain it, but we want to be around them.

Maybe that’s because they’ve taken on Christ-like characteristics inside, and after that, what they look like doesn’t matter at all. Psalm 27 tells us David found great satisfaction in “gazing upon the beauty of the Lord.” Maybe it’s a bit of His beauty that we’re recognizing as attractive within people who have their insides in order.

External beauty disappears with age, without exception. Inner beauty has staying power. As a matter of fact, it’ll stay with us throughout eternity. So let’s not fuss over pictures we want to delete but hold up a mirror instead to what’s happening on our insides. When that becomes beautiful, the rest of ourselves will follow.

“Let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart… which in God’s sight is very precious.” (1 Peter 3:4)