The Enemy has tricked so many people into thinking they are not beautiful.
Why have we bought into his lie?
I have a friend who struggles to leave her house on a bad hair day. Others who strive diligently to give the persona of perfection. Still others who nit n pick at their self-image till their Botox has filled every ounce of their smile.
American culture has convinced many that they are only good enough if they look a certain way.
Age is no longer beautiful. Neither are the blemishes on a teenage girl’s face. No wonder discontentment sets my house adrift! We’ve bought into the notion that we must walk this way and talk this way to be viewed as acceptable. We must stop and ask ourselves, “Whose eyes am I trying to please?” The Mattel makers of Barbie? Or the eyes of God?
Webster defines acceptance as “favorable reception; approval, favor.” Oh boy, how I am tempted by this! I am tempted to crave the praise and approval of people more so than that of God. Yes, we can easily succumb to seeking compliments from those around us and quickly forget to “Seek God with all our heart, soul and mind.” (Deuteronomy 4:29) We can spend hours prettying ourselves on the outside, meanwhile neglecting what is going on in the inside.
Little do we realize that if we neglect the inside, the outside will never be good enough.
The approval of man can never satisfy. It’s never enough. We can never get our fill. Yet, we strive in vain. When we have a misaligned identity seeking the approval and acceptance of others, we will come up empty handed in the long run. I love that God knew we would battle with this thing called beauty. Scripture is chock full of wisdom to set our mind back on the right track.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” Matthew 23:27 (ESV)
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” 1 Peter 3:3-4 (NIV)
When we focus too much on ourselves, we lose our focus on God. After God created the heavens and earth, He stood back and proclaimed, “it is good.” (see Genesis 1:31) Let’s start believing it! God uniquely and individually handcrafted each and every one of us. Beauty is in the eye of The Creator!
I watched my sweet Haitian friend, Ruth, dress up in her first princess gown, twirling and swirling before the mirror. I could tell by the gleam in her eye that she felt beautiful. If only the rest of us could capture this beauty!
Beauty. It is so misunderstood.
Let’s remind ourselves that the King of Kings is enthralled [captivated, delighted] with our beauty. The Creator God, the Alpha and Omega, Adonai, The God Most High…who possibly matters more than Him?
“The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your Lord.” Psalm 45:1 (NIV)
Interestingly, Kathy Lee Gifford & Hoda talked about this today too: Today Show