Wednesday Words of Encouragement

I Peter 3:3-4 ~

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, 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."

I stood in front of the mirror, wondering how many people had noticed the six inch hairs growing out of my chin in the past few days.  Then in the glaring light, I also noticed that the clump of silvery-gray hair that used to be on the right side of my temple seems to be spreading.  I happened to look at a picture that someone took of me and then gasped at the spreading waistline and my extra “flap” of flab and skin hanging down from my upper arms.  Yikes!!!   What happened to the thin, young girl that used to look back at me from the mirror and photos?

As a society, we are obsessed with how we look. Advertising companies have spent millions telling us what type of clothes to wear, how to look, what perfume we need, and what we should eat. Many people spend hours focusing on their bodies. We exercise, eat and drink foods that are supposed to be healthy, spend money on diets and health clubs.

Don't misunderstand me. I think it's very important to be healthy and I’m trying to work on getting into shape.  I’ve started walking and I’m trying to eat better foods.  I want my body to be healthy so that I can feel the best I can.

However, I don't want to overlook the things that are important in God's eyes. How much time do we spend working on our spirits? Is most of your day taken up in front of the mirror or working on how you look on the outside, while a few minutes are thrown in here or there for prayer and bible study?

There needs to be a balance.  We spend the majority of our time working the thing that will pass away and spend very little on the part of us that truly makes a difference.  Our true beauty lies in what we are like as a person.  Our beauty is determined by how we treat others and what our relationship with the Lord is like.

You can be the most beautiful woman or dress in the nicest clothes and still be unattractive because you haven't worked on your walk with the Lord. You can have the nicest hairdo and wear the prettiest perfume and still have ugliness come out of your mouth and heart.

I would encourage you today to place the importance on what matters to the Lord - a gentle and quiet spirit. Work on developing that, along with your body, and you truly will be beautiful both inside and out!