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.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
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.
