Real Beauty
Real Beauty
Beauty within…Beauty without
It’s sad how so many girls base who they are these days by their jean sizes.
How many times have we found ourselves looking in the mirror in the dressing rooms truly ashamed of the way we look? Countless. How many times have we thought about losing a few pounds? Or neglecting true health to “fit in” better – literally. How many times have we had our self-esteem boosted only to be cut down by a close friend, or even a mother? There is power in image, we can’t deny it, but isn’t there a way of overcoming this battle? When will we truly find peace with ourselves?
The truth is, God didn’t create women to be this way. To always be putting ourselves down and idolizing unrealistic ideas of how we should be. We have created this ???? and it will probably always be something girls and women struggle with. The media has stereotyped beauty and anything other than what we see in magazines is just not good enough. Sure, the girls on the covers are pretty, but honestly, do they all really look that way? One in a million.
We believe in the importance of maintaining a healthy body and figure, but going overboard by basing who we are upon it is too much. In the Bible it talks about how your body is a Temple of the Lord (Romans 12) and we should respect that by taking care of ourselves. What right do we have to put down who we are? What right do we have to accuse the Maker of not doing things “right”?
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart,”Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)
*MORE COMING SOON*
Eating right, and getting good exercise daily will improve your figure, but not always the way you think of yourself. The reason girls think they’re so ugly these days is simply because they see themselves in the mirror everyday – the same girl, the same features, and the same reflection.
It’s always good to be constantly trying to improve yourself and your character, but as you’re doing this, remember that God spent precious time making you.
Dove – Evolution of Beauty
Watch the above video by DOVE – it will change your perspective on “beauty”.
Do you see the difference?
Our concept of beauty has been distorted, challenged – no, deceived, for so long. This sort of beauty is nothing more than a “stereotype” – but it’s the kind of stereotype we fall for, because it’s appealing, in some ways. It’s nice to see a pretty face, but then we have to see our face. And naturally, we have this little tugging inside of us to compare ourselves to it. And then it becomes a goal – a vain goal – of being just as appealing as the pretty face we wish was ours. And sometimes, if we believe we don’t have the pretty face, we decide to bring our body into the picture. Maybe if I wear less clothing, it’ll offset my other imperfections. Maybe those guys will notice my slim figure. It’s always a tough bargain. And then when we find ourselves displeased with our bodies, we look for solutions. And most of the time, they aren’t solutions, they’re experiments. And each experiment leads to an overwhelming, embarrassing depression, which continues to build up until it turns into something it shouldn’t.
And, if you notice, we toss God out of the picture. “What does HE know about beauty anyway?” Or, “I know He knows what I’m obsessing over, but I won’t indulge this vanity for long. No until I’m satisfied.” “This is a different struggle I want to work out myself…”.
- Keeping up your appearance -
“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
So again – 1 Peter 3:3-4 is reminding us that our beauty doesn’t necessarily come only from the clothes and finery we wear, or how we style our hair – Instead, model your spiritual beauty after a gentle and quiet spirit. And did you notice the words…”Incorruptible”? This is priceless and eternal stuff here – this is PRECIOUS in the sight of God! He loves to see you acquiring this form of beauty! It’s so hard sometimes to see character as beauty, as physical beauty is much more captivating…and let’s be honest, distracting.
Let’s face it, ladies, products aren’t gonna make us beautiful.
However, you probably don’t need a website like this to help you with your makeup…
…But neither is neglecting yourself and thinking “inner beauty” is the only thing that matters. God didn’t call us as women to neglect ourselves. As women, it’s practically a natural instinct to look “pretty”. Some go off and call this “vanity” from the start – but looking decently tidy, nice and respectfully pretty, is a special obligation that everyone should have. But an easier way to put it is this – if your attitude towards looking pleasant and “pretty” is reasonable and good, then it’s not going to hurt you. Go for it, and be the woman you were created to be!
But – let’s be honest. Most people judge based on appearance…it’s part of life. Even we can admit to doing it at times. That is why we wholeheartedly support health, beauty, and (modest) fashion. It’s important the we, as Christians are not looked down upon because we can’t keep up with the “trends”. This is not to say that you must keep up with all the latest fashion – we’re only saying that you have a right to keep up with it if you want to, and we don’t believe it’s a sin. It’s great to have fun with your clothing, hair and makeup, just remember your boundaries! So many Christians these days think if you don’t wear skirts down to your ankles you might as well be wearing a bikini. No. There is a right between modest and immodest but it’s blurred – especially in society today. You don’t have to be frumpy to be feminine.
All throughout Scripture it talks about where true beauty comes from. You guessed it, from the heart. But it also says the heart is defiled and corrupt. Where is the balance?
God is our balance. How much of your life do you want to reflect on God? This might all sound like pointless gibberish, but if you take to heart the things like this that are important and meaningful, you’re not going to come up short – no, if you put yourself in the place you’re supposed to be positioned spiritually, it will show physically. If you’re genuinely happy, and filled with joy, it shows on your face, you can’t hide it. If your heart is not divided on two completely different incompatible things (such as God and righteousness on one side, and your fleshly lusts on the other) the true beauty of God can take over. A rose garden is not pretty to look at when it’s choked with weeds – let’s make sure our heart, mind and soul is not being choked by something that cancels out this ambition of true, pure beauty.
So, let’s review…Where can this beauty be found? It comes from our hearts. When we discern to strive for these things, when we set our hearts on this path, we’re sure to find it. Meditate on this 1 Peter verse – it’s something you should store inside you, keep in your mind for memory. Think about it when you’re lacking a gentle and quiet spirit. Be encouraged - you’re seeking something that God wants you to have.
It takes more than you know to train our hearts in such a way as to maintain this character trait. It is one specifically from God, so therefore it is of God. But this is all up to you.
MORE COMING SOON