I am stuck in a middle place that is quite awkward. I am stuck in a place where I so desperately want to show girls their worth and beauty in Christ while simultaneously trying to remind myself of my own. From my tangled thoughts births the question of what is true beauty in the Lord?
1 Peter 3:3-4 is a passage I wrestle with frequently.
Is it wrong to wear jewelry? Is it wrong to give attention to how you dress? Is it wrong to braid and curl your hair?
These are questions that flash and jumble and dance through my mind.
I do not think it is wrong to wear jewelry and dress up and do your hair nice, but it is wrong to put your focus and devotion into this. When we put our time into worldly things it is always done in vain. You see in our earthly mindset, we will never ever be satisfied. Which is ironic because we were never meant to be satisfied by this world, we were created by Heavenly Hands. Our looks will not last, our physical beauty will fade away, gray hair will sprout and wrinkles will tangle your face. You will always want the hair Mikayla has or maybe if you were just Janessa you would finally be content. But sisters, please, this is such a lie from the enemy. You were not created to wish that you were different than the way you were designed to be. Wordly things will always leave you empty. You will strive and strive and strive and never be satisfied. You were not made from scraps or leftovers. You were made beautifully by the Creator. We are beautiful because we were created from beauty Himself. You were made to raise your hands in worship and lay them down to serve others. You were made to smile at the joys that the Lord blesses you with. The beauty of a woman relies on love, not makeup. The beauty of a woman relies on trusting the Lord not tightening your skin. The beauty of a woman relies on sacrificing and serving not the extent of your closet. You are a person, not an empty body to be decorated.
When we put our devotion into eternal things they will always last. How do we appear to God rather than people? Your job in life is not to be pretty. Your job in life is to love. To love God and to love people. Our job is to love His word. Our job is to get up in the morning and saturate our souls in Him so that we are right before God, not man. A girl whose heart and mind are diligently focused on serving God, loving His people, and sharing His gospel rarely has time to feel worthless. They are filled with beauty that penetrates the soul. They wear Christ on the outside and the inside. People see His love through your eyes, they see His heart through your actions, they see His joy through your smile. They see Christ through you because you have saturated yourself in Him. A woman is truly beautiful when people don't see you, but they see Christ. Jesus died for you! Not your for your makeup or your image! But for you, raw and beautiful you! He conquered death for you! He rose again on the third day for you! He wiped away eternal punishment for you! You are free! You are not bound by earthly things! You are free in Christ Jesus!!!!!!!!!!! Your security, self worth and beauty are not found in makeup or jewelry or nice clothes, it is found in the finished work of Jesus!!!!!
"In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." --Ephesians 3:12
So sisters, please, do not strive to be outwardly beautiful. This will fade, but by washing yourself in His word you will be eternally beautiful and this is so so so precious in the Lord's sight. Beauty is not about you. Christ is the creator of beauty and when you radiate and delight in Him, the beauty of the Lord Shines through your heart.