Magazines, TV shows, celebrities, catwalks: they are all hiding behind there ‘beauty’ of their bodies. They tell us that we are not beautiful unless we do the same. But as Christians we don’t follow the world anymore. God says that actually, beauty comes from within.
Why are we
talking about true beauty? As I am struggling with the demands of today with
make-up, clothing, and jewellery not knowing if I should wear it, or how much I
should care about beauty, I realized that I had given over my life to Christ, I
am His, I need to do what He would have me do in this area. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive…according to what he has done whether good or bad. – 2 Corinthians 5:10 NKJV
Take a step
back and look at eternity, God made the world, and in the end those that
believe on Jesus will go to heaven, and live in heaven forever, for eternity.
Now think about beauty. I realized that beauty is not going to get me to heaven.
Therefore do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing [dying], yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. – 2 Corinthians 4:16 NKJV
Does beauty really matter then? I didn’t know. Does God think make-up is evil? Should I wear jewellery? Do I need to wear un-fashionable clothing to be a Christian? I dug into Gods Word, and He brought these versus my way.
Do not let your adornment be...
[just]… outward… rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible [undying] beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. – 1 Peter 3:3-4 (words in brackets mine.) NKJV
Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout, is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion. – Proverbs 11:22 NIV
Does a pig
with a gold ring through its nose look pretty to you? God is saying that
without the virtue discretion, a woman is ugly.
Without that good thing in the heart, we might as well be pigs with a
gold ring. Ever seen a girl who is gorgeous, but then as you get to know her
you realize she lies behind your back, she does whatever she feels like doing,
she swears at her friends, and doesn’t keep secrets. She is pretty to the worlds standards, but
when you think about her, would the word ‘pretty’ or ‘gorgeous’ come to your
mind, or would you think ‘horrible’?God is good in every way. If He is in our hearts and changing our actions, then His beauty shines through us. Those pig-ish actions are chucked out and replaced with beautiful actions.
And the last one…
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment… - 1 Peter 3:3
My beauty should not come from the outside. My beauty should not come from what a wear, what my face looks like, or whether I have no acne (or pimples!) today.
REAL beauty comes from the inside. It comes from what we have in our heart, not what we wear!
True beauty is what shines through our lives through our actions, through our smiles, through our discretion and gentle, quiet spirit. Beauty comes straight from God living in our hearts and pushing beauty through us!
There is that beauty that the world thinks of; that outward beauty. But think: our bodies are dying and growing old. We might have beauty now as we are young, but as we grow old, what will we have left? Do we have the undying beauty that shines out no matter what we look like?
The world is selling us the fake beauty of outward appearances. It is covering up the fact that beauty actually lies within. We are made to be known for our good actions, not for our good looks.
Make sure what’s on the outside reflects the purity on the inside. – A Young Woman After Gods Own Heart, by Elizabeth George.
~ Meggie
Stay tuned for how we should put this inner beauty in our lives. How do we cultivate good things in our hearts? This beauty of the heart is good and all but how does that relate to clothing, make-up and jewellery?
Taleisha is posting next on cultivating modesty and chasteness in our lives.
GREAT job Meggie! I love it and can't wait to post Modesty and Chasteness!
ReplyDeleteLove and Blessings,
Taleisha :)