Precious

Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. – 1 Peter 3:3-4

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. – Proverbs 31:30

I realize each day just how sad it is sometimes that humans are considered “visual” beings. We are always so concerned with what’s on the outside. The skin, face, body size/shape, hair, eyes… genetically most of which we can’t even control. Others that people think we can control. And still things that we wear and adorn ourselves with that draw attention or bring out certain features so that we “look good” and people find us “beautiful” somehow. Then a social hierarchy is established to rank the ‘beautiful’ from the ‘un-beautiful’. Don’t deny it, we all do this. And the ramifications of such a system ultimately begins chipping away at the lives of millions of females and males every year. Wrapping up our worth up in a CARCASS (yup, our flesh is nothing but that anyway…) in a system that’s going to ultimately crumble.

I really like the two verses above, because if I get too concerned and start losing self-esteem based on my outer appearance, those draw me back to humility and to where true worth rests – at the foot of a blood-stained cross.

What is precious to God?

A gentle and quiet spirit.

What have I not had lately?

A gentle and quiet spirit.

What should I clothe myself with?

Beauty that comes from within. Unfading beauty.

Yet what do I often concern myself with?

Beauty that does not last. “Beauty” that is outside and not inside.

Charm is deceptive… don’t let it fool you.

Beauty DOES NOT last. So get over yourself. A woman who fears the Lord, in the end, she’ll be praised. A woman with a quiet and gentle spirit, she is precious to God. So clothe yourself with unfading, real, beauty… one that comes from within, from having a personal relationship with Jesus.

I want to clothe myself with what God sees as precious. Not with what society does. I am getting over myself… it’s just not worth it to be self-consumed. Jesus paid too high a cost for us to worry over such things or to put our fleshly standard on another.

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