Why You Should Care (And Not Care) About Your Appearance
“Abstain from all appearance of evil.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:22
When the Apostle Paul exhorts the Thessalonian believers to “abstain from all appearance of evil,” it shows that there is an obvious value placed on our appearance and what people see. After all, we are Christ’s ambassadors and represent Him (2Co 5:20)! However, in other places we are taught that it is a problem to glory in the flesh and in appearance (Gal 6:12-15, 2Co 5:12).
So which is it: should we care, or not care, about appearances? The answer is yes to both, but there’s some important nuance to the topic. Let me explain.
God Judges the Inward First and Foremost
The Lord Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for focusing only on their outward appearance of righteousness while neglecting the inward reality of their wicked hearts (Mat 23:25-28). They were the epitome of self-righteous religion, worried only about how they looked to others rather than obeying God’s truth from a pure heart: “Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” (Mat 23:28).
The same is true for us: cleaning up our outward appearance doesn’t save us or make us righteous before God, because none are righteous and we’re not righteous by our works (Rom 3:10). Salvation is found in Christ alone, by grace through faith alone in His death and resurrection for our sins (Rom 3:19-26). In the same way, our Christian walk is also rooted in grace through faith in Christ (Col 2:6-10), not external performance or appearances.
It is that same sacrificial love shown for us at Calvary that not only saves us, but also constrains our hearts and minds to serve the Lord and others (2Co 5:14-15). True transformation begins in the inner man through a renewed mind (Rom 12:1-2). While that inward work rightly affects our conduct and what others see, appearances alone are not the standard of righteousness.
The Apostle Paul makes it very clear:
“[6] Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; [7] With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:” – Ephesians 6:6-7
“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” – Galatians 1:10
We serve God above all, from the heart. Self-righteous flesh cares about how things look more than if they are truly right. What matters is not merely what we do, but why and how we do it. Pleasing God is not about keeping up appearances but about being renewed in Christ so that our outward walk flows authentically from a heart motivated and constrained by His love (Rom 5:8).
People Judge the Outward
Still, we are reminded in the Bible that others, including the world and weaker brethren, do judge by what they see. Even if our actions are good and done in the right heart, if they can give the impression of evil, the result can hinder someone from receiving truth (Rom 14:10-16, 2Co 10:7). Sometimes our liberty can become a stumbling block if it is misunderstood and not considerate of those without a proper understanding of our liberty in Christ (1Co 8:9).
This creates a tension: God measures the heart, but most people measure the appearance. To walk charitably in Christ, we must consider both.
We must ask ourselves:
Is what I'm doing right? Is it true and motivated by God’s grace and love? If it’s wrong, it doesn’t matter how it looks; you should stop.
If it is right, could how I'm doing it create a stumbling block to others?
Living by grace means using our liberty to serve one another in love (Gal 5:13). This sometimes requires limiting ourselves for the sake of another's conscience, choosing not to let our good be spoken of as evil (Rom 14:16). Of course, there will be times that others disagree and disapprove no matter what, but our aim should be to serve God with a pure conscience while removing needless hindrances to the gospel and others’ edification in Christ. Ultimately, God is our judge and tries our hearts (Rom 14:4-12, 1Th 2:4).
Conclusion
The believer's goal is not image management but authentic service to Christ and others. We are not called to be men-pleasers, but we are called to walk in wisdom toward others (1Co 9:19, 27, Col 4:5, Eph 5:15). We must remember to value the inward reality of faith and love, while also being mindful of the outward impression for the sake of others. In this way, we honor God from the heart while walking charitably toward men and valuing appearances for the right reason.
