A couple of weeks ago we asked Christian girls in middle school and high school to come up with a skit answering the question what is beauty. 4 out of the 5 groups that we asked came up with skits where the girl was ugly and really nice or really good and beautiful on the inside. The girls in the skits with outward beauty were all mean.
Now I am all about beauty and self confidence coming from the inside but we cannot act as though that is all that matters. As though we are all going to completely forsake our outward appearance to focus on our inward. Or as though when girls do not care about their appearance that they are self confident and believe that they have inward beauty so its ok.
When I was in high school the most insecure I also could have cared less about how I looked and I thought that it didn't matter because I was beautiful on the inside.
Then one day one of my best friends and I were talking about what we wanted to do with our lives. I was going to be a missionary in Romania to help street kids. She wanted to be a cosmetologist because she honestly believed that everyone could be beautiful they just had to learn how to use what they had.
Well I kind of stole her life goal in a way because I am a cosmetologist and like her believe that everyone can be beautiful inside and out. God created us to be beautiful, to be the crown of his creation and show off all that he has done. God talks about dressing up his people Israel with rings and silks and oils and perfumes. I realize its a metaphor for how he will take care of his people and give them everything they need and want, but that is how he wants to take care of us.
He wants to care for us and show us off. While it is true we do not need makeup, pretty clothes and jewelry to be beautiful. I think it is equally true that we should not use clothes or hair to hide behind. As if all of our assets being hidden is the only way that our inner beauty can be seen.
Beauty is a sensory thing. We see a beautiful flower, hear a beautiful song, feel the beautiful warmth of a fire, taste the beauty in our favorite food, smell the beauty of your favorite perfume. It is also a heart and soul thing, you feel how much someone cares and how sweet or humble or graceful they are and you think that is beautiful. I do not think you can have one without the other.
Someday when I fall in love I want that man to think I am beautiful inside and out. I do not want him to think well her inside is drop dead gorgeous but her looks are on the struggle bus. How sad would that be? and who wants that?
In the story of Rebekah when Abraham's servant goes to find her it says they she was a beautiful woman and the servant hurried to ask her to give him a drink. He saw that she was beautiful it attracted him to her.
Then as she filled the trough for the camels he watched her closely to see if God had answered his prayers. He watched her closely because of her servants heart, her character.
This is what I think beauty is all about inside and out. Our outward beauty draws attention but our heart and character keeps people's attention, causes them to look closely to really see all the beauty that is there.
And that is Beautiful.
Now I am all about beauty and self confidence coming from the inside but we cannot act as though that is all that matters. As though we are all going to completely forsake our outward appearance to focus on our inward. Or as though when girls do not care about their appearance that they are self confident and believe that they have inward beauty so its ok.
When I was in high school the most insecure I also could have cared less about how I looked and I thought that it didn't matter because I was beautiful on the inside.
Then one day one of my best friends and I were talking about what we wanted to do with our lives. I was going to be a missionary in Romania to help street kids. She wanted to be a cosmetologist because she honestly believed that everyone could be beautiful they just had to learn how to use what they had.
Well I kind of stole her life goal in a way because I am a cosmetologist and like her believe that everyone can be beautiful inside and out. God created us to be beautiful, to be the crown of his creation and show off all that he has done. God talks about dressing up his people Israel with rings and silks and oils and perfumes. I realize its a metaphor for how he will take care of his people and give them everything they need and want, but that is how he wants to take care of us.
He wants to care for us and show us off. While it is true we do not need makeup, pretty clothes and jewelry to be beautiful. I think it is equally true that we should not use clothes or hair to hide behind. As if all of our assets being hidden is the only way that our inner beauty can be seen.
Beauty is a sensory thing. We see a beautiful flower, hear a beautiful song, feel the beautiful warmth of a fire, taste the beauty in our favorite food, smell the beauty of your favorite perfume. It is also a heart and soul thing, you feel how much someone cares and how sweet or humble or graceful they are and you think that is beautiful. I do not think you can have one without the other.
Someday when I fall in love I want that man to think I am beautiful inside and out. I do not want him to think well her inside is drop dead gorgeous but her looks are on the struggle bus. How sad would that be? and who wants that?
In the story of Rebekah when Abraham's servant goes to find her it says they she was a beautiful woman and the servant hurried to ask her to give him a drink. He saw that she was beautiful it attracted him to her.
Then as she filled the trough for the camels he watched her closely to see if God had answered his prayers. He watched her closely because of her servants heart, her character.
This is what I think beauty is all about inside and out. Our outward beauty draws attention but our heart and character keeps people's attention, causes them to look closely to really see all the beauty that is there.
And that is Beautiful.
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