True beauty

The following is taken from 'Girl Talk' by Carolyn Mahaney and Nicole Mahaney Whitacre.


The beauty our culture esteems may turn heads, but the beauty God calls us to cultivate will make a lasting impact. When a cute girl walks by, people notice - guys especially. But that's the end of it. Her beauty makes a fleeting momentary impression. However, a girl who cultivates her inner beauty, who cultivates a steadfast trust in God - her beauty will have a lasting effect on the lives she touches.

So which beauty are you going for? Here's a ten question quiz to help you determine the truth.

1. Do I spend more time each day caring for my personal appearance than I do in Bible study, prayer, and worship?


2. Do I spend excessive money on clothes, hair and makeup, or is it an amount that is God-honouring?


3. Do I want to lose weight to 'feel better about myself,' or do I desire to be self-disciplined for the glory of God?


4. Am I on a quest for thinness to impress others, or do I seek to cultivate eating habits that honour God?


5. Do I exercise to try to create or maintain a good figure, or do I exercise to strengthen my body for God's service?


6. Is there anything about my appearance I wish I could change, or am I grateful to God for the way He created me?


7. Am I jealous of the appearance of other girls, or am I truly glad when I observe girls who are more physically attractive than I?


8. Do I covet the wardrobe of others, or do I genuinely rejoice when other girls are able to afford and purchase new clothing?


9. When I attend an activity, do I sinfully compare myself with others, or do I ask God to show me whom to love and how to do it?


10. Do I ever dress immodestly or with the intent of drawing attention to myself, or do I always dress in a manner that pleases God?

If most of your answers were 'yes' to the first half of these questions, then it's likely you've been sinfully striving after physical beauty to get attention. Why not make a switch and spend your time and energy on beauty that will never fade? Cultivate a trust in God that will draw attention to the beauty of the gospel. God is eager and willing to help you to change.

A loving God has determined what we look like. He decided how tall we would be, the colour of our eyes, and all the unique features that make up our appearance - right down to our fingers. We can spend the rest of our lives pining about the results of God's determination, or we can receive with gratefulness His design, knowing that He does all things for His glory and our good.

David said, "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made" Ps.139v14. When was the last time you worshiped God for the way He created your body? Anything less than a heart filled with gratitude and praise to God for our physical appearance is sinful and grieves the Lord.

We must not simply reject the world's view of beauty, but we must also pursue true beauty as defined by the Bible: the inward beauty of the heart. And this beauty has some serious advantages over the world's beauty. It lasts longer, works better, and is pleasing to the one whose opinion matters the most. So instead of an extreme body makeover, maybe it's time for an extreme heart makeover. Let's pursue the feminine beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.