Friday, March 14, 2014

You are beautiful

I had a rare moment this morning. My husband was up before me, getting ready to go off to an exam. Audrey was up at 6 but back in bed at 8:30, by this time Chris had left for his exam. No one else was up and I had no housework. All of this is rare and I painted my toe nails and finger nails (also rare for me) just because I lacked something better to do! The sun was streaming in and my heart swelled with love as I mused over all the facts of my life. Today is a great day.


In my usual way, I started to chat with Holy Spirit. Then I listened. Holy Spirit is always quiet chatty, given half a chance. The words "you are beautiful" were pressed into my heart, like a stamp, leaving an impression. With those words came this, everyone has been created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:27) and God is beautiful.



Why would people spend millions of dollars on plastic surgery, make up, the gym, their hair, clothing and weight loss pills? Because they want to feel beautiful, they want others to believe they are beautiful. Very few of them actually know they are beautiful. You are beautiful! All of you! You are because God, your Father, said you are! He should know, He made you.



My skin is bumpy and splotchy, moley and freckly, stretched out and starting to get wrinkly (so each of my children have commented over the last few months!). I have always had problems accepting my nose, my butt, my huge barrel chest and feeling like my legs are too short. If I stand in front of the mirror too long the list becomes a novel. Despite this, I am and always will be, beautiful. I had a sneaking suspicion, despite the evil voices that told me otherwise, that I am beautiful, but slowly God has been removing all doubt and I think he has totally convinced me now!



This isn't some trivial issue, in our society people (mostly young girls) mutilate their bodies, suicide, become promiscuous and live in depression or have other mental health problems stemming from this one lie those evil voices tell and they have believed. Even worse, this is getting passed down generation from generation, becoming such a sick stronghold that many don't even know it is a problem as it's all they know. So, beauty is obviously important. What is beauty?


beauty
ˈbjuːti/
noun
  1. 1.
    a combination of qualities, such as shape, colour, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight.

I believe it is true, beauty really is in the senses of the beholder. 

Why can God look at us and see and feel beauty but we can look 

at ourselves or others and only see flaws? It is all about 

perspectives. 


When God looks at us He sees himself, because He is looking for 

Himself in us. He probably sees more of Himself in some of us than 

others but if you are alive, think, create, enjoy, rest, plan, dance, 

forgive, give or are anything else that God is or does then you are 

like God. He is in you, whether you like it or not. Just like you 

have attributes of your earthly parents, you have attributes of your 

Heavenly family.


I see some people work their way through the evil voices that say 

"you are ugly and you always will be", "you are fat", "you are 

worthless", "you are....." and a lot of people come to a point of 

indifference. "Oh well, I am the way I am and there isn't much I 

can do about it." No! You are beautiful! It is very very important 

that you know you aren't just 'okay' but you are amazing! It isn't 

just the inside that counts! Although it is most important to be 

beautiful on the inside it is still important on the outside. Matt 

23:26 says you must clean the inside of the cup and the outside will 

be clean also. This is talking about the hearts of people being clean 

and beautiful so that the actions and appearance on the outside will 

be likewise. People! Listen! You are so very appealing on the 

outside! If you want to look better on the outside, you must invest 

on the inside.


There are some people who believe they are beautiful but turn up 

there noses at others. If this is you, you are missing the point. Yes, 

you are beautiful, but why are you beautiful? If you think it is 

because your body doesn't have an ounce of fat, your have perfect 

hair and your big blue eyes make heads turn, I'm sorry, that's not 

why. You are because your maker, your daddy, and Holy Spirit 

look at you, their daughter/son and say, "oh, they look just like us! 

Inside and out!" They gave us this shell for a reason! Because it 

gave them pleasure to see you express yourself.


I have 6 kids. They are all different and all beautiful and nothing 

makes me as happy as watching them smile and laugh and love 

each other. I am sure God is even more filled with joy with looking 

at us. But when I see them abuse the gift of life and self expression 

by pinching their sister, sitting in self pity with a screwed up face 

or refusing to forgive someone for some trivial misdemeanor it 

saddens me. Still, I look through their behavior and I have hope, I 

have faith that they will turn things around. I believe that even the 

most soured heart can soften in a moment with love. Love always 

hopes, always endures, it never fails.


I guess what I am trying to say is this, the outside and inside are 

two sides to the same coin. Your fears and insecurities, your 

favorable attributes, your love and attitudes are displayed through 

every inch of your outward appearance. Your looks matter, just not 

the way you expect. Does it matter that you have red hair and 

freckles? Does it matter that your legs are really short for your 

body? Does it matter that you have scars on your face? Or pimples, 

or cellulite, or saggy bits??? NO! They do not disqualify you from 

being beautiful! You were made beautifully in your mother's womb 

and nothing can ever revoke that gift (see Romans 11:29)! But it 

does matter that you know God loves you, accepts you and is well 

pleased with you, inside and out, who are you to argue with God? 


I pray you will see yourself as God sees you, and you can 

encourage others to see the beauty they are also.