Several times recently, the topic of beauty has been brought up amongst my friends and I.
And as a person who struggled (and struggles) daily with a low self image, I know what it's like to view yourself as
[worthless] and [inferior.]
So what do we as women of God do to defend against these feeling of worthlessness? We turn to make up, hair products, new clothes, and body treatments. Many people have opinions on why we do this, but as a single woman, I can say that mine is a little different.
I want to be cherished. I want to be cherished by a man of God who delights himself in the love and law of the Lord. But as it happens, I don't have a husband, boyfriend or fiancé to do that for me. And so I turn to myself to cherish myself. Which results in make up, hair products, clothes, (even flowers!) that I buy myself so I will feel cherished.
There's something wrong with this picture though. I'm not allowing myself to be cherished by someone else, when I'm so busy cherishing myself.
Because you see, someone is cherishing me.
And He finds me ravishing and gorgeous and perfectly suited to His tastes in women: Clothed in white garments and washed by the blood of the Lamb.
I hide, like a frightened child behind a mask of chemicals, oils, and elixirs, trying to disguise the beauty God has given me with something fake and false that is akin to the perfection we see in
[Barbie dolls] and [Disney Princesses.]
Have we truly let beauty be equated to plastic toys that could be used as toothpicks and animated figures of fabled legends? Where did the timeless beauty of
the Shulamite in Song of Songs go?
What happened to her abandonment to love?
Or the beauty of Ruth?
That singular trust and obedience of a submissive spirit to her Lord's will?
Or the beauty of Esther?
The confidence and faith of a woman sold out to her Savior?
Are these attributes considered ugly and unlikable? I think not. God said in 1st Peter that the kind of spiritual beauty the women listed above had was a
"...precious thing...of great worth in the eyes of God.."
that he will
"...delight over you with singing and great joy..."
(Zephaniah).
If we have the joy and delight of God in the light of being His precious creation are we blaspheming God and saying that what He created is "not good" simply cause we aren't idolized as a child's toy?
God created the woman out of the rib of Adam and said it was very good. We took nothing away, nor added a thing.
If God didn't, who are we to do so?
I admit. I am guilty of this constantly. But what kind of mask are you hiding behind? Are you a slave to the perfection of a finicky world? Or are you using the things provided you, as Esther did with the beauty treatments Xerxes provided, to merely enhance and let your glorious and true beauty shine?
Esther may have been beautiful, but what was she remembered for in the long run?
Her beauty?
Two questions for you to think about:
1. Do you fall victim to these lies? If so why kind of mask do you hide behind and why?
2. Are you calling God a liar? Do you deny His proclamation of your beauty? Is so, why do you think that is, and what could you change to stop that?
[Twist back the image of beauty the world has brainwashed you with.]
