True Beauty

 She looks into her mirror, a sad countenance on her face... why must she have so many freckles, blemishes, and faults? She tries to put up her hair like the "other girls" do, but her efforts fail her, and the ribbons and clips and fanciful additions all come to nothing.

She opens her closet, glancing from side to side, and wishing that she had more clothes that made her look like the others... wishing that she would be counted amongst the "pretty girls". Her vain pursuits have taken her no where...

Why don't others pay attention and pamper her desires like they do to the popular ones... the ones who always have it all. Why are there never people busy about her, flattering her, and giving her attention?

She wonders if she is not pretty enough, doesn't have a good outward appearance...

"Maybe if I start acting like, dressing like, talking like...."

She falls liable to that trap that so many young ladies fall into... the trap of discontentment and the wrong view of beauty.

This sad tale doesn't have to be... there is another way, another road. The Creator has made each and every one of us beautiful... and by rejecting ourselves and His design for us, we are saying that He, the Almighty King, made a mistake.

But, as it says in Psalm 19:14...

"I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well."

I am made in the image of God... the Creator of all.

He who loves me with an everlasting love, shaped me and formed me.

He gave me every single freckle...He made my eyes the perfect color...He gifted me with the hair that He desired for me to have.

Yet, our outward appearance means so little, if anything, in comparison to the place of true beauty, the beauty of one's heart. A truly beautiful person is one whose heart fears the Lord, who wears the adornments of love, kindness, compassion, and humility as graceful garlands...the beauty of a Godly heart is the most to be desired.

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

Proverbs 31:30

Many of us know this verse by heart, but how many of us are living it?

Do we value a pure and contrite heart, or are we so focused on being popular or pretty?

"Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God"

1 Peter 3:3-4

A truly beautiful young lady is one who wears the Godly virtues of gentleness and love...

Dear reader... the Lord has made YOU BEAUTIFUL just the way you are, for HE MADE YOU!

You have been created by the Lord, who has a beautiful plan for your life...

Contentment comes when we embrace His gift to us... when we bless Him for making us who we are, because He did it for His glory. Let us strive to continue to put on the beautiful virtues treasured by the Lord, and to fear Him with all of our heart, knowing that He has made us exactly the way He has planned, for our good and His glory. The one who does this is truly is a beautiful person...

Blessings,

Dresses, a photo by Nurse Kate on Flickr.
Poppies I, a photo by cwasteson on Flickr.