I don't know about you, but I struggle with the way I look way too frequently. Even before I had the twins, I was constantly worried about if my hair looked good enough, if I looked thin enough, if my outfit was cute enough. It's an endless race that no one ever wins. The grass is always greener on the other side and we are never satisfied with what we have been given. And that's just plain wrong. I will be the first to raise my hand of confession and say that I have idolized the world's definition of beauty for far too long and it has to stop. In God's providence, this helpful book came in the mail a few weeks ago, and it rocked me to the core.
True Beauty by Carolyn Mahaney and Nicole Whitacre is a breath of fresh air to a beauty obsessed soul. If you struggle with what stares back at you in the mirror every morning or feel yourself fighting comparison when you walk into a room full of well-dressed ladies, this book is for you. But if you also want to know what God's version of beauty is and how you can have it, this book is right up your alley. I was so encouraged by this little book. I happened to be recovering from surgery right around the time it arrived, so I finished it in 24 hours. It's that good, friends. I leave you with a few quotes to whet your reading appetite.
"True beauty is to behold and reflect the beauty of God" (p. 35).
"Feelings of inadequacy about our appearance often arise because we feel we deserve better than what we have" (p. 39). Ouch! But so true!
"Some of us may parade our beauty for our own glory. Some of us may brood and worry over glory unattained. Most of us do a little of both. But whenever we try to get attention and admiration for our own beauty--whether or not we are successful--we are robbing God of the glory that only he deserves" (p. 42).
"If our diets and workouts become all about our appearance and how others view us, we are chasing self-glory, and not giving glory to God" (p. 55).
"A gentle and quiet spirit is not a personality trait. It is the quality of a woman who meets adversity--slander, sickness, rejection, and loss--with a calm confidence in God" (p. 81).
"Though many women become hard and bitter as they grow old, a woman who trusts God, who pursues a gentle and quiet spirit through the many trials and temptations in her life, grows more radiant and lovely, even as she wastes away. Her beauty is an imperishable beauty, after all. This is the powerful, living paradox of true beauty" (p. 92).
Showing posts with label Beauty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beauty. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Our Creativity Tells a Story
We are all familiar with Psalm 19:1, which says “The heavens
declare the glory of God.” In this psalm David is saying that every inch of the
created world—from clouds to vegetation, human beings to animals—screams the
greatness of our amazing Creator. The uniqueness in each person’s face, the
rain that falls on parched vegetation, the creation of a little life in the
womb of a mother—every tiny detail reflects the glory of our great God.
As human beings, we are created in the image of our Creator. Yet only one part of his creation is given the responsibility of bearing his image. One of the ways we image him to a watching world is through our ability to create and make things. We are given the gift of creativity and personal handiwork. And it comes in all shapes, sizes, and skills.
This is no small matter. When we create we are doing so as image bearers. The fact that I craft a sentence or an article, or even create a new recipe in the kitchen, tells a story about the God who made me. My creative capacities are not merely for my own benefit, but are meant to draw me, and those who are watching, back to the Creator. Like the heavens above me, every gift I possess is designed to declare the glory of God.
But unlike God, my creative capabilities are limited by my personhood. I cannot create a prosthetic arm for an engineering project, or design a new building, or fix an anesthesia machine, or even make a gourmet-style cupcake. Even with the most adequate training I would still fall short of the goal. Why? That is not my gifting. God simply did not create me with the attention to detail needed to do such things.
And that is the great leveler when it comes to looking at our gifts. Every way we create, design, work, and labor is meant to point away from ourselves and direct our gaze to the God who gave us these gifts. We should take our cue from the skies above us. As beautiful as a bright and sunny day is, the sky derives its value from God. The splendor of the sky is meant to make us glorify the One who made it. The same is true for our gifts. Every capability we have to create something new, beautiful, or innovative is a different facet of being created as image bearers. All of our creative capacities are meant to point us back to the Creator—the giver of all good gifts.
This understanding of our gifts transforms a jealous heart also. Within the family of God there is no room for jealousy. We are all given gifts, talents, and capabilities that are designed to serve his people and make much of him. But we are all limited in what we can do, too. If we could do it all we would be God, and we would be prone to boasting in our own strength. When we see another person possessing a creative quality that we lack, rather than wallowing in jealousy and self-pity, we should use it as an opportunity to worship God for the gift he has given that person. That’s all it is—a gift.
God possesses all of the creative capabilities we have individually in the core of his deity. He is everything in one. He is artistic, good with words, intricate, detail-oriented, attentive, innovative, and so much more. In his kindness he made us image bearers so we could, like the skies, declare his glory in this world.
As human beings, we are created in the image of our Creator. Yet only one part of his creation is given the responsibility of bearing his image. One of the ways we image him to a watching world is through our ability to create and make things. We are given the gift of creativity and personal handiwork. And it comes in all shapes, sizes, and skills.
This is no small matter. When we create we are doing so as image bearers. The fact that I craft a sentence or an article, or even create a new recipe in the kitchen, tells a story about the God who made me. My creative capacities are not merely for my own benefit, but are meant to draw me, and those who are watching, back to the Creator. Like the heavens above me, every gift I possess is designed to declare the glory of God.
But unlike God, my creative capabilities are limited by my personhood. I cannot create a prosthetic arm for an engineering project, or design a new building, or fix an anesthesia machine, or even make a gourmet-style cupcake. Even with the most adequate training I would still fall short of the goal. Why? That is not my gifting. God simply did not create me with the attention to detail needed to do such things.
And that is the great leveler when it comes to looking at our gifts. Every way we create, design, work, and labor is meant to point away from ourselves and direct our gaze to the God who gave us these gifts. We should take our cue from the skies above us. As beautiful as a bright and sunny day is, the sky derives its value from God. The splendor of the sky is meant to make us glorify the One who made it. The same is true for our gifts. Every capability we have to create something new, beautiful, or innovative is a different facet of being created as image bearers. All of our creative capacities are meant to point us back to the Creator—the giver of all good gifts.
This understanding of our gifts transforms a jealous heart also. Within the family of God there is no room for jealousy. We are all given gifts, talents, and capabilities that are designed to serve his people and make much of him. But we are all limited in what we can do, too. If we could do it all we would be God, and we would be prone to boasting in our own strength. When we see another person possessing a creative quality that we lack, rather than wallowing in jealousy and self-pity, we should use it as an opportunity to worship God for the gift he has given that person. That’s all it is—a gift.
God possesses all of the creative capabilities we have individually in the core of his deity. He is everything in one. He is artistic, good with words, intricate, detail-oriented, attentive, innovative, and so much more. In his kindness he made us image bearers so we could, like the skies, declare his glory in this world.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Creation Glorifies God
Rarely do I stop and marvel at God’s creation. When I drive around I’m usually focused on where I’m going or what I want to do next. When I run all I can think about is how much longer I have to run. I go from my car to the apartment without ever taking in the beauty of the world around me. I’ve never been one to be super aware of nature, and growing up in a big city only heightened my ignorance to it all. Skyscrapers and concrete have a way of sidelining the beauty of green trees and flowers.
For the first time that I can remember, last week I appreciated the beauty of what God made in creation—and it made me want to worship him more. I spent last week in Colorado chaperoning a high school ski trip and every morning, while walking to breakfast, I watched the sun rise over the Rocky Mountains. I have seen mountains before, and even the Rockies. But this time it was different.
As I saw the red, orange, and purple hues rise over the snowy peaks all I could think about was the fact that even the rocks and mountains cry out that he is God. If we fail to worship him and honor him with the glory due his name, just look at the mountains, the flowers blooming in spring, and the beauty of the sunrise. They are all screaming that God is glorious and mighty and deserving of all of our worship (Luke 19:40).
This is why Romans 1 is so condemning and so devastating. The worst form of blasphemy and dishonor towards God is to worship what he has created rather than the Creator. And we do it all of the time. The sunrise is not glorious because it is a sunrise. The sunrise is glorious because it points to the One who made it—God. What kept coming back my mind over and over again as I took in the beauty of the mountains this week was that it all pales in comparison to the glory we will one day see in heaven.
Creation daily lifts its voice to worship the God who created it. As a human being, created in the image of my Creator, I want to honor him by worshipping him in greater measure than even the rocks and the mountains.
For the first time that I can remember, last week I appreciated the beauty of what God made in creation—and it made me want to worship him more. I spent last week in Colorado chaperoning a high school ski trip and every morning, while walking to breakfast, I watched the sun rise over the Rocky Mountains. I have seen mountains before, and even the Rockies. But this time it was different.
As I saw the red, orange, and purple hues rise over the snowy peaks all I could think about was the fact that even the rocks and mountains cry out that he is God. If we fail to worship him and honor him with the glory due his name, just look at the mountains, the flowers blooming in spring, and the beauty of the sunrise. They are all screaming that God is glorious and mighty and deserving of all of our worship (Luke 19:40).
This is why Romans 1 is so condemning and so devastating. The worst form of blasphemy and dishonor towards God is to worship what he has created rather than the Creator. And we do it all of the time. The sunrise is not glorious because it is a sunrise. The sunrise is glorious because it points to the One who made it—God. What kept coming back my mind over and over again as I took in the beauty of the mountains this week was that it all pales in comparison to the glory we will one day see in heaven.
Creation daily lifts its voice to worship the God who created it. As a human being, created in the image of my Creator, I want to honor him by worshipping him in greater measure than even the rocks and the mountains.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Top to Toe For Women: In Pursuit of True Beauty
Below is a post I wrote for the CBMW blog yesterday. I hope you enjoy it!
Recently, Randy Stinson addressed the problem of self-preoccupation among modern men, but, the principles he set forth apply to women as well. He explained that biblical manhood should not be characterized by an excessive delight in self-pampering, but rather a Christ-like, self-sacrifice that places others wants and needs before our own—all so others might see Christ. In the same vein, Christian womanhood should include more self-sacrifice than self-preoccupation. This is not to say that women should give up on proper hygiene, shopping, or even getting their nails done. The Bible only says that women should not be hoping in those things for their value and worth—rather they should be hoping in God (1 Peter 3:3-5). It is important to note that the Bible is not silent about beauty. God has much to say about such things.
Mrs. Mary Mohler, wife of seminary President and Council Member, R. Albert Mohler Jr., addresses beauty at the Capitol Hill Baptist Church women's retreat. Mrs. Mohler's teaching and humble spirit is a tremendous gift to all in the church, especially women. She encourages us to see that beauty is important to God. While dispelling the notion that femininity equals frumpiness, she also dispels the idea that femininity equals "dressing to the nines" all of the time. God, being the Creator of the Universe, has created beauty and the beauty that displays his creation is what we should pursue. But, beauty is not simply defined by external appearance. There are examples of biblical characters, like Absalom, who destroyed themselves, and others, because they did not give praise to God for their beauty—their beauty was merely external. Beauty is both an internal and external desire in the life of the believing woman.
But we must separate biblically defined beauty from worldly beauty. Worldly beauty is empty. After giving us a framework for seeing beauty, Mrs. Mohler exhorts us to see that the world's understanding of beauty is empty. She discusses the danger of vanity and cautions us to not make an idol out of worldly beauty because it will eventually fade. What doesn't fade is the beauty of a woman who has spent her life in front of the mirror of God's Word, rather than the mirror in her bathroom.
God cares about beauty. But the point of beauty is not our own glorification. God designed beauty for our enjoyment and for his glory—so we should take an interest in how we look, but not for man's empty praise. We should care about how we look because we want the Creator of our features to be praised for his handiwork. If we spend our time adorning ourselves only, we will miss the point. We cannot hope in the empty promises of a $90 straightener and Great Lash mascara. Rather we should be adorned by the Word of God. This looks differently in other women, but the goal of our femininity is so people will see Christ in greater measure, not our fancy clothes and manicured nails. So let us not be ashamed to recognize true beauty as we see it, but let us also put our hope in Jesus blood and righteousness, lest we think on that final day that it's our trendy outfit and size-2-body that will save us.
Mrs. Mohler's messages are excellent, and I would highly encourage you to follow the links to listen to them. May God bless you greatly as you listen. You can access her talks here and here
Recently, Randy Stinson addressed the problem of self-preoccupation among modern men, but, the principles he set forth apply to women as well. He explained that biblical manhood should not be characterized by an excessive delight in self-pampering, but rather a Christ-like, self-sacrifice that places others wants and needs before our own—all so others might see Christ. In the same vein, Christian womanhood should include more self-sacrifice than self-preoccupation. This is not to say that women should give up on proper hygiene, shopping, or even getting their nails done. The Bible only says that women should not be hoping in those things for their value and worth—rather they should be hoping in God (1 Peter 3:3-5). It is important to note that the Bible is not silent about beauty. God has much to say about such things.
Mrs. Mary Mohler, wife of seminary President and Council Member, R. Albert Mohler Jr., addresses beauty at the Capitol Hill Baptist Church women's retreat. Mrs. Mohler's teaching and humble spirit is a tremendous gift to all in the church, especially women. She encourages us to see that beauty is important to God. While dispelling the notion that femininity equals frumpiness, she also dispels the idea that femininity equals "dressing to the nines" all of the time. God, being the Creator of the Universe, has created beauty and the beauty that displays his creation is what we should pursue. But, beauty is not simply defined by external appearance. There are examples of biblical characters, like Absalom, who destroyed themselves, and others, because they did not give praise to God for their beauty—their beauty was merely external. Beauty is both an internal and external desire in the life of the believing woman.
But we must separate biblically defined beauty from worldly beauty. Worldly beauty is empty. After giving us a framework for seeing beauty, Mrs. Mohler exhorts us to see that the world's understanding of beauty is empty. She discusses the danger of vanity and cautions us to not make an idol out of worldly beauty because it will eventually fade. What doesn't fade is the beauty of a woman who has spent her life in front of the mirror of God's Word, rather than the mirror in her bathroom.
God cares about beauty. But the point of beauty is not our own glorification. God designed beauty for our enjoyment and for his glory—so we should take an interest in how we look, but not for man's empty praise. We should care about how we look because we want the Creator of our features to be praised for his handiwork. If we spend our time adorning ourselves only, we will miss the point. We cannot hope in the empty promises of a $90 straightener and Great Lash mascara. Rather we should be adorned by the Word of God. This looks differently in other women, but the goal of our femininity is so people will see Christ in greater measure, not our fancy clothes and manicured nails. So let us not be ashamed to recognize true beauty as we see it, but let us also put our hope in Jesus blood and righteousness, lest we think on that final day that it's our trendy outfit and size-2-body that will save us.
Mrs. Mohler's messages are excellent, and I would highly encourage you to follow the links to listen to them. May God bless you greatly as you listen. You can access her talks here and here
Sunday, July 1, 2007
What is Beauty? Part 2
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty," - that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.
The meaning of the last two lines of John Keats’ famous poem “Ode on a Grecian Urn” is much disputed among literary scholars and students, including my literary theory class in college. While much of the discussion centers on who Keats is really addressing when he speaks about beauty, the essence of this statement speaks to a very real aspect of the nature of true beauty—beauty is truth, beauty points to truth.
Psalm 24:1 says:
“The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell there in.”
God has created every inch of the universe, every cloud in the sky, and every hair on your head. Our understanding of beauty must first be rooted in a proper theology of God. If God created all things, then the created things should reflect the Creator—God, Himself. And if beauty is truth, then all things, to be truly beautiful, must point to the ultimate truth—God, Himself.
Beauty is not defined by the latest fashion magazine; it is defined by the One who created beauty. Do you purchase new shoes, or get your haircut, or buy new makeup to put Christ on display, or for man’s empty praise?
There is a common misconception among evangelicals that beauty is something to be avoided, but if God created the earth and saw that it was good (Genesis 1:31), we must believe that He didn’t create it ugly and call it good. Why are we drawn to things that are attractive, if God does not want things to be beautiful? It is our fallen nature that distorts true beauty. God created us with a desire for things beautiful because He wants us to worship Him. When we divorce beauty from God we wind up with a host of problems.
So how does this affect us in our daily date with the mirror and closet? If your shirt is drawing more attention to body parts then your person, it is not declaring the beauty and truth of Christ. If your outfit is drawing more attention to your impeccable style then your heart for Jesus, it is not declaring true beauty. We should want to be beautiful, but not so we can win pageant awards and a host of boyfriends. We should want to be beautiful because we want people to see our Christ.
Peter addressed this in 1 Peter 3:3:
“Do not let your adornment be external—the braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, or the putting on of clothing.”
Now surely Peter is not telling us to forego clothing. He isn’t. Rather, he is saying that our outward appearance should not define us, and most certainly should not be a distraction in worship and daily living. There is much freedom in the Gospel regarding make-up use, hair styles, and clothing. But, all of these things should seek a common purpose—the truth of the Gospel. Christians, of all people, should be the most beauty seeking ones in society because we know the real source and definition of beauty.
No matter how many times a college student, or academic, can try and deconstruct the language of truth, the heavens are not silent—they are declaring the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). Is your appearance declaring the same thing? Do you seek to point people to Jesus, or to your new American Eagle shirt? May our lives and appearance be declaring the same thing—Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
To be continued (imperishable beauty and the beauty of fearing the Lord)…
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.
The meaning of the last two lines of John Keats’ famous poem “Ode on a Grecian Urn” is much disputed among literary scholars and students, including my literary theory class in college. While much of the discussion centers on who Keats is really addressing when he speaks about beauty, the essence of this statement speaks to a very real aspect of the nature of true beauty—beauty is truth, beauty points to truth.
Psalm 24:1 says:
“The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell there in.”
God has created every inch of the universe, every cloud in the sky, and every hair on your head. Our understanding of beauty must first be rooted in a proper theology of God. If God created all things, then the created things should reflect the Creator—God, Himself. And if beauty is truth, then all things, to be truly beautiful, must point to the ultimate truth—God, Himself.
Beauty is not defined by the latest fashion magazine; it is defined by the One who created beauty. Do you purchase new shoes, or get your haircut, or buy new makeup to put Christ on display, or for man’s empty praise?
There is a common misconception among evangelicals that beauty is something to be avoided, but if God created the earth and saw that it was good (Genesis 1:31), we must believe that He didn’t create it ugly and call it good. Why are we drawn to things that are attractive, if God does not want things to be beautiful? It is our fallen nature that distorts true beauty. God created us with a desire for things beautiful because He wants us to worship Him. When we divorce beauty from God we wind up with a host of problems.
So how does this affect us in our daily date with the mirror and closet? If your shirt is drawing more attention to body parts then your person, it is not declaring the beauty and truth of Christ. If your outfit is drawing more attention to your impeccable style then your heart for Jesus, it is not declaring true beauty. We should want to be beautiful, but not so we can win pageant awards and a host of boyfriends. We should want to be beautiful because we want people to see our Christ.
Peter addressed this in 1 Peter 3:3:
“Do not let your adornment be external—the braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, or the putting on of clothing.”
Now surely Peter is not telling us to forego clothing. He isn’t. Rather, he is saying that our outward appearance should not define us, and most certainly should not be a distraction in worship and daily living. There is much freedom in the Gospel regarding make-up use, hair styles, and clothing. But, all of these things should seek a common purpose—the truth of the Gospel. Christians, of all people, should be the most beauty seeking ones in society because we know the real source and definition of beauty.
No matter how many times a college student, or academic, can try and deconstruct the language of truth, the heavens are not silent—they are declaring the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). Is your appearance declaring the same thing? Do you seek to point people to Jesus, or to your new American Eagle shirt? May our lives and appearance be declaring the same thing—Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
To be continued (imperishable beauty and the beauty of fearing the Lord)…
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
What is Beauty? Part 1
We live in a culture that is obsessed with image, and every day we are bombarded with advertisements promising to deliver beauty and happiness. For many of us, it is a daily struggle to leave the house content because of the constant anxiety we feel over looking “beautiful enough.” With all of the hype surrounding being beautiful, we must ask ourselves—what exactly is beauty? Every day we are faced with a choice, will we choose worldly beauty, defined by fashion magazines and the culture? Or will we choose godly beauty, defined by the perfect, holy words of our God?
In the next week (or so), my prayer is that we would be able to look at godly beauty through God’s eyes. Today, I want to lay a framework and in the next few days I will write about what the Bible says we should seek regarding beauty.
First, we know that there were beautiful women in the Bible. God is not silent on beauty. Being beautiful is not a sin, but, for example, if Esther had sought her own gain and refused to help her people, her beauty would have meant nothing. And though Sarah was beautiful, she probably would have traded her beauty for a baby. Beauty does not buy happiness, nor does it save you.
Everything around us is a reminder that we cannot trust in external beauty. All of us will be subject to the natural process of aging. And even in our youthfulness, we could all probably attest to the fact that many times our daily date with the mirror leaves much to be desired.
As women there is no arguing that we want to be beautiful. It is a gift, and I will be the first to admit that I enjoy styling my hair, putting on makeup, and picking out an outfit every morning. But I also must recognize that if my hope is in my $40 straightener and my Great Lash mascara, I will be disappointed and discontent every time. There is a healthy balance between being feminine and making the products of femininity an idol.
For many of us we know that leaving the house everyday can be a big struggle because we are faced with a barrage of self-criticism and comparison to others around us. For others, we know that when we walk into a group of women our first reaction is to judge the beauty of those around us, even to the point of gossip—“did you see what she was wearing?” We must repent of both of those things.
Unless we see that all of our comparisons and self-criticisms are fundamentally pride and unbelief in God, we will spend our entire lives never feeling good enough—and that is a worldview that will ultimately lead us to death. The fact that some women bury themselves in a sea of credit card debt just to buy the newest designer style, is fundamentally saying that “God is not really God, He is not sufficient to meet my needs.” The fact that some women spend the wee hours of the morning hugging a cold toilet after forcing themselves to throw up, is fundamentally saying “God does not meet my needs, and He is not sovereign over my weight.” Obsession with image, no matter how detrimental it is to your health or well being, is a form of pride and self worship—just like all of our disbelief is pride and self worship.
We can, and should, recognize beautiful, modest, godly women when see them. But we should not bank on those affirmations in our own life. And, most importantly, our characterization of beauty must not come from the latest InStyle magazine.
If the Lord allows us to live that long, when we are 80 years old no one will remember the face of our 20’s, 30’s, or 40’s. All they will see is the wrinkled face of a woman nearing her last. As we prepare to meet our Savior, no amount of Botox or fad-diet will prepare us for our final breath. Only a life spent pouring over the mirror of God’s Word will prepare us for that glorious day.
It’s really easy to pay lip-service to the truths of the Bible, yet still live in constant anxiety and unbelief. The fight of faith is hard, and this is not any different. If you feel yourself struggling with true beauty versus worldly beauty, ask God to reveal the areas in your life that need to be changed. Preach the Gospel to yourself daily. If you find yourself anxious about how you look in the morning, proclaim Christ to your wayward heart. Do not choose bondage to the world’s ideals any longer—choose life in Christ. So let us not be ashamed to recognize true beauty as we see it, but let us also put our hope in Jesus blood and righteousness, lest we think on that final day that it’s our trendy outfit and size 2 body that will save us.
In the next week (or so), my prayer is that we would be able to look at godly beauty through God’s eyes. Today, I want to lay a framework and in the next few days I will write about what the Bible says we should seek regarding beauty.
First, we know that there were beautiful women in the Bible. God is not silent on beauty. Being beautiful is not a sin, but, for example, if Esther had sought her own gain and refused to help her people, her beauty would have meant nothing. And though Sarah was beautiful, she probably would have traded her beauty for a baby. Beauty does not buy happiness, nor does it save you.
Everything around us is a reminder that we cannot trust in external beauty. All of us will be subject to the natural process of aging. And even in our youthfulness, we could all probably attest to the fact that many times our daily date with the mirror leaves much to be desired.
As women there is no arguing that we want to be beautiful. It is a gift, and I will be the first to admit that I enjoy styling my hair, putting on makeup, and picking out an outfit every morning. But I also must recognize that if my hope is in my $40 straightener and my Great Lash mascara, I will be disappointed and discontent every time. There is a healthy balance between being feminine and making the products of femininity an idol.
For many of us we know that leaving the house everyday can be a big struggle because we are faced with a barrage of self-criticism and comparison to others around us. For others, we know that when we walk into a group of women our first reaction is to judge the beauty of those around us, even to the point of gossip—“did you see what she was wearing?” We must repent of both of those things.
Unless we see that all of our comparisons and self-criticisms are fundamentally pride and unbelief in God, we will spend our entire lives never feeling good enough—and that is a worldview that will ultimately lead us to death. The fact that some women bury themselves in a sea of credit card debt just to buy the newest designer style, is fundamentally saying that “God is not really God, He is not sufficient to meet my needs.” The fact that some women spend the wee hours of the morning hugging a cold toilet after forcing themselves to throw up, is fundamentally saying “God does not meet my needs, and He is not sovereign over my weight.” Obsession with image, no matter how detrimental it is to your health or well being, is a form of pride and self worship—just like all of our disbelief is pride and self worship.
We can, and should, recognize beautiful, modest, godly women when see them. But we should not bank on those affirmations in our own life. And, most importantly, our characterization of beauty must not come from the latest InStyle magazine.
If the Lord allows us to live that long, when we are 80 years old no one will remember the face of our 20’s, 30’s, or 40’s. All they will see is the wrinkled face of a woman nearing her last. As we prepare to meet our Savior, no amount of Botox or fad-diet will prepare us for our final breath. Only a life spent pouring over the mirror of God’s Word will prepare us for that glorious day.
It’s really easy to pay lip-service to the truths of the Bible, yet still live in constant anxiety and unbelief. The fight of faith is hard, and this is not any different. If you feel yourself struggling with true beauty versus worldly beauty, ask God to reveal the areas in your life that need to be changed. Preach the Gospel to yourself daily. If you find yourself anxious about how you look in the morning, proclaim Christ to your wayward heart. Do not choose bondage to the world’s ideals any longer—choose life in Christ. So let us not be ashamed to recognize true beauty as we see it, but let us also put our hope in Jesus blood and righteousness, lest we think on that final day that it’s our trendy outfit and size 2 body that will save us.
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