TRUE BEAUTY

In our culture today the visible outer appearance seems to be the focal point of attractiveness. External physical attributes and personal adornments such as clothing, make-up, jewelry and hairstyles constitute the notion of beauty. For women these things are reasons for getting jobs, better pay, promotions, status, and winning a man. There is no question that the emphasis on beauty is embedded in society today. It has been commercialized so much that just driving down the freeway you are bound to see an Ad made by a beautiful woman. While the Lord does not condemn physical attractiveness, he does say in 1 Peter 3 that women should take care to adorn ourselves with true beauty; the inner person, the hidden person of our heart.

In 1 Samuel 16:7 the Lord makes this point about how man focuses on the outward appearance:
“It was time for Samuel to choose one of Jesse’s boys to be the next king of Israel, because God had taken away Saul’s kingdom from him. When he arrived, he saw Eliab thinking he would be the one God had chosen. In verse 7: “Do not consider his appearance or his height for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at what man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

It is clear from these verses that God isn’t interested in beauty pageants when it comes to the definition of beauty. He’s not looking at your height, skin color, attractiveness, nor status; but he is interested in the person you are inside: your thoughts, your feelings and actions. He seeks out the person who loves and serves him.

Proverbs 31:30 “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”
The biblical definition of beauty can be summed up as “tranquil or of a quiet spirit.” Unlike clothes or physical attractiveness, a quiet spirit is a quality that does not perish. A gentle and quiet spirit is truly what makes a woman beautiful. Some women assume that a quiet spirit means, wearing only gray clothing, sitting in the back of the room, and never speaking. This is not what constitutes a quiet spirit. It is a tranquility rising from within; one who is calm, not anxious, and does not worry. It is the confidant woman who waits on the Lord and is not easily agitated or disturbed by daily cares or uncomfortable circumstances. Are You That Person?

Remember God has given us three things to provide us with victory: a spirit of power, a spirit of love, and self-discipline. As women desiring to be seen by God as having inner beauty, we must make a decision to be obedient in this area in our lives. Relying on the Holy Spirit to empower us to discipline ourselves in this area. Let us adorn ourselves with a quiet spirit that God considers as “a precious attribute.”