I have been called so many things before, especially on this site. One of the many things has been the phrase 'you are so superficial' or anything synonymous with that: materialistic, vain etc. If this happens again I'll probably snap, usually I just ignore it and laugh it off, because I don't care too much about what people think. But I wanted to open the forums, even though I know it has been discussed before (I just cant be bothered to look through all the threads).
This is a little portion of my ideals/checklist:
I prefer that a guy is well groomed and looks after himself physically.. (and all the other "ally's")
I must be attracted to him (physically)
He needs to be able to be responsible and educated in order to care and look after me.
I would hope that whoever my husband is also is seeking those same things in me as well.
And I am being very honest here - I know this is not right, so I am working on it, and I know that plenty of you do the same - I often find that I make more effort to talk to and make friends with people who I think are 'pretty' or 'attractive'. Maybe I just think all my friends are aesthetically pleasant, but I do find that I will be more inclined to talk to a attractive person than I would a not-so attractive person. I am working on this, so don't bite my head off because of that - I know it's wrong, but maybe this happens to you too?
I wanted to open this opportunity for you guys to tell me what you think about looks and physical appearances. I don't want people to just say the right things "I don't care about looks" cause that’s a load of rubbish. If you are going to say that, don't reply to this thread because I know that argument. I know about "looks are fleeting" and "God looks at the heart", I am well versed when if comes to the scriptures concerning this stuff.
Generally, I think that looks do matter. However, there are a lot of things that matter more, i.e. spiritually secure and solid in their walk.
Lynda, the truth is, that you're not much different any other woman in the world. And your 'ideals' (you may as well quit calling it that, because every man is pretty much imperfect, especially your future husband) are normal desires for a woman your age to have.
I also feel that I should be attractive to my future spouse (well, I'm actually not that attractive of a man, so I'll probably never marry), and there's nothing wrong with that. The truth is, women that end up marrying someone they aren't attracted to will always lust after the 'hotter' guys and, in many ways, will end up despising her husband as the years go on.
So I won't bite your head off for only making friends that you consider attractive; but I will tell you that I don't do that because many that are considered very attractive tend to usually have an ugly soul (keep in mind that this is not a sweeping generalization, but a statement made from personal experience). I try to make friends only with Christians, because the Bible says that we shouldn't be unequally yoked with unbelievers (friendship is a yoke, and this particular command of Scripture was not made specifically for marriage). The Bible says to love your neighbor as yourself, and I try to follow this command at all times, but friendship among the children of God should only happen with each other. I'm glad that you're working on it, though. Us unattractive folk aren't that bad, once you get to know us
I don't live in a place where there are alot of Christians, and the truth is (again, from my own personal experience) that worldly girls tend out outdo Christian girls when it comes to beauty and attractiveness, and, unfortunately, even in personality. But (and I'm being honest) since there isn't a Christian girl my age here at all (that's available) (yes, this is the truth), then I guess I'm sort of stuck in the waiting game against my will lol.
So yes, when it comes to getting together with someone, then of course their appearance should be attractive to you. Personally, I have met women that, although I wasn't attracted to the physically at first sight, I grew to become more and more attracted to them physically as I began to like them and appreciate them for their other traits. I guess, this is why the Bible says "
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain."
Even though we naturally desire what is pleasing to our view of attractiveness, we, as Christians, should leave off the "lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes", and begin to know people past their exterior. It's so much easier to do things like the world and just get together with someone because you think they're good-looking, but God would have us wiser, and to be patient.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.