“Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” --Proverbs 31:30
“Mama, how old are you?” CJ recently asked. We had just celebrated my birthday, so the question didn’t catch me by surprise; however, CJ’s reaction to my reply was a bombshell. “Oh, Mama, that’s almost old!” she informed me. Call me uneducated, but I didn't realize that that mid-30s (okay, late-mid-30s) is old!
As much as I was convinced CJ was wrong, her comment kept coming back to me, probably because Satan knows my insecurities and wants to prey on them. I can’t be the only one who often envies the women in Hollywood – those ultra-thin, super-rich, beautiful-beyond-belief ladies who never seem to age. Our enemy would have us believe that they are the gold standard. That’s a lie! Scripture tell us that “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7). God has given us His own gold standard, and we find her in Proverbs 31. She really intimidated me until I realized that God doesn’t expect me to exemplify all of these qualities at one time. (Thank you, Lord!) Rather, He is telling me to focus on one, get that right, and move on to another. I’m not sure I’ll finish the journey on this side of Heaven, but, like Paul, I keep pressing toward the goal.
I’m desperately in love with my husband. I can hardly believe that God gave me the most handsome man I’ve ever laid eyes on. R’s compliments can give me goose-bumps. But my poor heart does flip-flops when he tells me that he sees Jesus in me…I have never felt more beautiful.
The Psalmist gives us advice that we women would be wise to heed: “Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father’s house. The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.” (Psalm 45:10-11) Difficult as it is, we must not buy into the images we’re bombarded with. Forget the worldly standards. Forget spending too much money on false guarantees of beauty and youth. Instead, honor God. If that means getting sweaty and dirty on the mission field, foregoing sleep to minister at a youth camp, or simply getting down on your knees wearing a bathrobe and no make-up…do it! Dear One, our King will be enthralled by your beauty!
3 comments:
What a great post! Very inspirational. And welcome to blogging. You'll be completely addicted in no time at all. :-)
yup, I agree.
Great post!
Tonight at Safeway (buying a roll of cookie dough) I was looking at the magazines and tabloids. One featured some story about how dangerously thin all these celebrities were while the other had paparazzi photos of celebrities caught unaware in swimsuits showing their cellulite. I don't know which was more disturbing.
BTW, I didn't consume the whole roll by myself. I cooked half and shared with my two kids, both before and after dinner. That half, both dough and cookies are long gone, and cellulite of my own is forming as I speak.
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