Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. ~Proverbs 31:30-31
Primer? Check.
Concealer? Check.
Foundation? Check.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent many an hour examining my face and hair over the years. Heaven forbid I leave the house – or be seen in a “Zoom Room” – without looking as if I have it all together. At least sort of.
I wonder if I should focus more on…
- My spiritual foundation than whether the honey beige cream is blended in right.
- Confessing my shortcomings than concealing those dark circles.
- Priming my heart, mind, and spirit than priming my face.
What else the Bible says about beauty?
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, 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. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful.
~1 Peter 3:3-5
As a health coach and purpose coach, I’m all about feeling and looking our best to help us fulfill our calling here on earth. BUT.
Let’s not put more attention on our outer self than on our inner self. Let’s not put more attention on what we look like than on how we serve others.
Beauty is fleeting. It’s character that lasts.
I just got off the phone with my daughter Jana. “Honey,” I said, “Pray for your mama. I have all sorts of aches and pains goin’ on. Alas, my ‘earthly tent’* isn’t quite as cozy as it used to be.” Have my cheerleading and dancing years caught up with me? Perhaps Zumba? Or T-25? Tendonitis. Arthritis. Bursitis. Ouch. Ouch! OUCH.
*2 Corinthians 5:1
Beauty is fleeting. It’s character that lasts.
So, what can we do to build character then? To build something that lasts?
For starters, let’s take another look at Proverbs 31. (I know some women deplore “The Wife of Noble Character” as she sets the bar too high. I think she’s pretty darn awesome.) What can we learn from this amazing woman of yore?
A sampling of her fine qualities:
- She’s faithful to her husband and earns him respect.
- She works hard with “eager hands,” including cooking and sewing.
- She gets up early.
- She’s a savvy businesswoman with multiple income streams.
- She’s generous to the poor.
- “She is clothed with strength and dignity.”
- She speaks wisdom.
- She plans for the future.
- Her children and husband praise her.
- She fears the Lord (meaning she loves Him and submits to His commands).
- She deserves to be rewarded!
I have a feeling this woman doesn’t wallow in self-pity or spend her time comparing herself to others. She goes about the business of loving and serving her family, loving and serving the poor, and loving and serving the Lord.
What are some things we can do to help us become women of noble character? I’ll suggest a few. Please add your own ideas.
1. Spend more time praying and meditating on God’s word than “putting on our face.”
2. Gather regularly with women who are on the same path so we can support and encourage one another.
3. Replace negative “self-talk” with affirming “soul-talk.”
4. Say it out loud –> Beauty is fleeting. It’s character that lasts!
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Questions to Ponder
1. What are you doing to develop your character?
2. What are you doing to clothe yourself with strength and dignity?
3. What are you doing to plan for your future?
Prayer
Lord, thank you for loving us as we are and for giving us a desire to become more like you each day. Help us develop gentle and quiet spirits, to focus more on inner beauty than outer, and to care more about serving others than comparing ourselves to them. In Your Son’s Holy Name we pray. Amen.
Photo by Flickr (Patrick Slaven)
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