The Beauty from Within
We are bombarded with images of perceived beauty daily, virtually by the minute. “Use this cream and your skin will look younger,” the ads scream at us. “That man will love you more if you use this haircolor,” the ads insinuate. We get the message that whatever we are born with is not good enough. We need to look like the movie star of the day, buy the right clothes, fit the right size mold, and then our lives will be fulfilled.
Ouch!
These messages are aimed at our kids, too. So now, it isn’t just enough that adult women feel the pressure to fit society’s mold of beauty, but our five year olds are trying to fit the mold, too.
I recently picked up a book called, The Lolita Effect: The Media Sexualization of Young GIrls and What We Can Do About It, by M. Gigi Durham, Ph.D., (Overlook, 2008). I am just at the start, but the premise is obvious. Girls are inundated from an early age to sexualize themselves. Teeny bikinis. Booty-shaking dancing. It’s all there.
What we all need to remember… study, learn, repeat to ourselves, whatever it takes, are the old adages that our moms used to tell us: Beauty comes from within. Beauty is as beauty does.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve spent a small fortune attempting to attain that elusive “beauty.” (OK, maybe not so small of a fortune!). Physical beauty is wonderful, but it can’t be our goal. In I Peter, we read:
Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.
I Peter 3:1-7
Real beauty, inner beauty, can change the world. It sheds light where there is darkness. It brings joy in the midst of sadness. And it effects everyone around. Peter goes on to instruct Christian wives to develop their inner beauty, as their husbands will be won by their loving spirit, rather than their looks. If we live our lives developing our inner beauty, our families and friends will see Christ in us.
When we focus on the outward appearance, we become self-centered and can become vain.
For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.
I Timothy 2:10
It does not go against scripture for a woman to want to look pretty. But inner beauty must be the goal. I’ve often used the Christmas present analogy. If you have two presents that are side-by-side, one wrapped in the shiniest paper and the other in plain brown, most people will quickly open the beautifully wrapped gift. But if what is inside is ugly, or the wrong size, the gift will be meaningless. If the plain package is opened to reveal something beautiful, it will be treasured for years to come. The outside is meaningless in the long run, it’s the inside that is the treasure!
And to reference an earlier blog, having the heart of a servant will increase your beauty ten-fold (The Heart of a Servant). Nothing shines brighter to our Heavenly Father as one who humbly serves…
Talk about true beauty!
July 24th, 2008 at 3:43 am
i whole heartily agree, linda. our quests to “fit the mold” can take us down a path that is not at all glorifying to the Father. i’ve been there, it’s ugly. beauty to G is not at all the same thing as it is to the world, especially in our society today. Psalm 139 and Proverbs 31 are passages to we should live up to, not Cosmo and People magazines.