“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewellery and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” 1 Peter 3:3-4
Physical beauty is not what a woman should be judged by. Unfortunately for most of us, we don’t live up to the standards desired by the world when it comes to beauty. How great it is, then, to realise that the outer beauty is not what God is looking for. Instead He is looking for inner beauty.
Proverbs 31:30 tells us, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” The same is true for men also, but it seems that women are generally more concerned than men with their physical appearance. Just think about how many commercials we see on TV for various cosmetics, to defy the ageing process for as long as possible. Yet the beauty that God looks for – a gentle and quiet spirit – will always stay beautiful to Him.
This is not to say that we shouldn’t take care of our appearance; but it shouldn’t be a time-consuming exercise and one that we fret over. A woman’s true beauty is in her character. A plain Jane who is godly and honest, will get further in life than a beautiful woman who does not exercise any common sense. We find again in the book of Proverbs, “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion” (Prov. 11:22). Which kind of beauty are you striving for?
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