Is Your Beauty Only Skin Deep?

Inner Beauty
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry 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. I Peter 3:3-4

I live in a city where there is much emphasis on how you look. People pay to have things added to their bodies and have things altered or diminished. People pay money to have their teeth whitened, hair removed, hair styled and colored, nails done, facials, botox, some have muscles implanted into their arms or calves, tans sprayed on all to keep up their appearance, young, trim and hip!

As time takes over, bodies change and age and what once was is now different. What happens to those who have spent a lifetime working on their outward appearance without being concerned with their inward appearance? They continue to pay doctors and health care people to keep them looking young and vibrant but are lacking in character.

Scripture says that "charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting" (Prov 31:30). Man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart (I Samuel 16:7). Take care of your body, for it is God's temple, you were bought with a price. What are my inner attitudes and qualities? Do I display a gentle and quiet spirit? Do I spend the majority of my time talking about the holy trinity; me, myself and I? Am I more concerned about the interests of others?  What occupies the majority of my time and what I think about?? If you are really brave, ask your close family and friends how they see you. Ask them about your positive inner qualities and ask them what they think you could improve upon.

God lives a lot of instruction about how women should live. One of the best chapters that speaks about inner beauty is found in Proverbs 31. While this passage portrays a woman over a period of years, it does not require this wife to be all these things at once, superwoman if you will.

A wife of noble character brings her husband good not harm.
She works eager with her hands.
She cooks for her family.
She helps earn money for her family at some point in her life.
She has good business sense about her.
She is concerned and cares for the poor.
She provides clothing for her family.
She decorates her house and dresses nicely.
She is clothed with strength and dignity.
She has a sense of humor.
She speaks with wisdom.
She gives faithful instruction to others.
She doesn't sit idle.
A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

We are all aging, even if you are in your 20's. I have known several women who have gone through cancer treatments. Treatments altered their looks and their bodies. There are no guarantees how we will look over time. I believe that I am a reflection on my husband and should take of myself and look good for him when I go out with him. However, how I look should not consume me.

Do I live to entirely please man or God? Over and over He says how He cares about what is in our hearts. What kind of woman do you want to be as you continue to age? Do you want to be beautiful on the outside, or do you want to be beautiful on the inside and the outside. What kind of woman do you want your daughter to be? What is the focus of your conversations with her? Do you always focus on how she looks, what she eats or is your focus on who she is as a person?