Welcome to another episode of The Gospel According to, where I connect all our beautiful fandoms with even-more beautiful Bible verses and Gospel truths. This week, we’re talking about Ed Sheeran’s “Beautiful People” and how it relates to who we seek to please with our appearances and behavior. Enjoy!
Fandom: “We don’t fit in well, ’cause we are just ourselves… This is my only fear, that we become beautiful people”
Verses: “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10
Nugget: Seeking God’s approval instead of other humans’ is far more fulfilling and leads to higher self-worth and knowledge of our worth.
Living for others’ approval leaves us empty and alone.
Drop top, designer clothes/ Front row at fashion shows/ “What d’you do?” and “Who d’you know?”/ Inside the world of beautiful people/ Champagne and rolled-up notes/ Prenups and broken homes/ Surrounded, but still alone/ Let’s leave the party
Ed Sheeran’s “Beautiful People” is telling the story of a couple who doesn’t fit in with the mainstream, popular, party crowd that they interact with. This part of the song in particular describes the world of beautiful people, full of gossip and luxury. This seems cool from a distance, but up close, you can see that all the glitter hides emptiness, broken relationships, and loneliness.
In the same way, living for the approval of others, whether at a party or in class or with friends, ultimately leads to feelings of being fake, of loneliness, and lack of connection even worse than before. Because you have presented a false front, it feels like no one you interact with knows the “real” you. That’s not a fun place to be 😕.
Living for others’ approval can also lead to lower self-esteem and higher anxiety levels, since you’re constantly wondering what others think of you and feel bad when they show disapproval. Your self-worth can become dependent on the whims and opinions of others.
Seeking God’s approval over others’ is more fulfilling in the end.
Here’s the good news, friends. At risk of sounding cliche, we don’t have to live for others’ approval. On a human level, that’s exactly what Ed Sheeran is talking about. I’m not fazed by all them lights/ And flashin’ cameras/ ‘Cause with my arms around you/ There’s no need to care. Because he has a fulfilling relationship with the one he loves, Ed (should I call him Ed? Yes, sure, we’re besties now 😹) doesn’t feel the need to seek the party peoples’ approval. They are free to “leave the party” and live only for themselves and each other.
The Gospel takes this already beautiful and sweet idea to a whole other level. Because we have the approval of God in Jesus, we are free to seek Him alone and not concern ourselves with the approval of others. And because God knows our hearts, He will bless our pursuit of Him with greater understanding of who He is and a deeper relationship with Jesus, which is far more fulfilling than anything people, no matter how beautiful, can provide.
“But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.” 1 Thessalonians 2:4
Living for God’s approval instead of other humans’ can lead to higher self esteem and self worth. Because His opinion of us will never change, we don’t have to worry about our situation changing from day to day. We will be more peaceful and more aware of our value, which leads us to think of others differently as well.
Here’s a post I found with lots more verses about seeking God’s approval 🙂
I hope you’ve been encouraged by this post about “Beautiful People” by Ed Sheeran. If you did, please do me a solid and share with all your peeps using the graphic below. And let me know what you think!
Happy fangirling!
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