AESTHETIC - WHY ARE WE SO CONSUMED?

'For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. '

Matthew 6:21

Are you idolizing your aesthetic?

Weird question to ask I know, but let’s take a minute to be honest with ourselves. Are you prioritizing your aesthetic more than you should?

A while ago I read, “Your aesthetic can be an idol” and ever since then, it has stuck with me.

Before we jump into this let's backtrack a little…

WHAT IS AN AESTHETIC?

According to our trustworthy urban dictionary, the word Aesthetic is Related to something that looks good or pleasing to the eye.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to please an eye or two. I think it can be something found as a therapeutic distraction. It is how we choose to prioritize it that we have to check ourselves.

In this generation, it is very easy to get caught up in all these forms of aesthetics. Here are a few examples: Surfer, Granola, Skater, Coastal, Clean, Minimalist, Cottagecore, even Christian, etc. The list could go on for a while.

I know you just read those and tried to figure out which one you are, which shows how consumed we are with our aesthetics.

We get so caught up in the way we let the world see us. Making sure we get those likes, or a swipe up from that one person after we posted a story that took more time than it should of to create.

I am guilty of this.  

I mean who wouldn’t want to hear “This is very aesthetic.” or “I love your aesthetic.” It is a nice compliment, but we need to be more aware of what we are prioritizing within it.

How many times did you take that picture of your coffee to get the right one?

How many times have you changed your first photo in a thread, because it would look better on your feed?

How many times have you changed your outfit, because it didn’t fit your aesthetic?

I know what you’re thinking now, “Lily I didn’t read this to get called out.” No, you are right, you read this because I begged you to. (I am just kidding) But I am not here to call you out but to make you aware.

Exodus 20:3 - You shall have no other gods before me. (ESV)

You know this. Are you using the time to fix up your aesthetic instead of being with God? That post that took hours to put together, might be taking up time you can have being present with the Lord. Those minutes digging through your closet several times to find THE outfit could have been spent doing quiet time for a few more minutes.

Isaiah 44:9-11 -  Now, all the forming of images means nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their own witnesses cannot see, and they know nothing...  Who would shape a god or cast an image that profits nothing? ...all who associate with it will be put to shame; and as for the craftsmen, they are only human... (ISV)

Aesthetics are created by humans, so they cannot save. To give them the attention we do is foolishness. These aesthetics we portray are nothing in heaven. So why be consumed in them now?

Matthew 6:25 - “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t worry about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. (MSG)

Jesus tells his followers that it is impossible to serve both God and wealth (worldly things). In this verse, he begins to discuss why one should not be over-anxious about worldly things. The words “more, and than” in this context means that the first object being compared exists even without the second. We can still live out our “aesthetics” without being so consumed by them.

And yes, our aesthetics may just be how we live life. But once again, prioritizing them can lead to idolization. Let us not be consumed in them, for they are just mere idols.  

We should not allow the cares of this world to enter in and overthrow the Word of truth, crowd out the peace of God in our hearts, and cause us to become defeated and unfruitful.

But anxiety, worry, and fretting about the smallest things, like how people view our lives through a screen, seems second nature to us and we all have asked the question, what if..?

So what if the next time you find yourself going that extra step for that post or that outfit, you take the time to check your heart, and make sure you are doing it for the right reason?

ALL THE BEST,