True Beauty
Recently some of the moms from the "Mom to Mom" group at our church have started a Bible Study once a week in the mornings. The mom who started it felt God calling her to reach out to stay at home moms. I have to admit that it has been great to get to know her and the other moms. We are reading a book by Nancy Leigh DeMoss (who I greatly admire) called "Biblical Womanhood in the home". Today I'm reading chapter 2 "true beauty" and it is really hitting home. It talks about how we as women compare ourselves to perfection that we see in the media that isn't even real. These women we see on magazine covers have personal trainers, personal stylists, personal make-up artists, and their image is captured under ideal lighting. After this, the models still don't look good enough because they recast the models' image through computer graphics. We compare ourselves to this!
"God exposes our pursuit of the perfect figure and beauty to be idolatrous."
It is a sin to be totally consumed in it because it takes our focus off of God. It is a modern day idol and God speaks very sternly against idolatry in the prophet books of the Bible. His chosen people turned their backs on him in pursuit of idol worship. It broke his heart. He longed for his people to turn from their sin and come back to him.
After all this striving to be perfect, it still will not bring lasting happiness and fulfillment. Relationships fail and worlds fall apart...just look at the life of princess Diana. She had the story book wedding. But her life was filled with divorce, depression, loneliness, ongoing bulimia, and suicide attempts. But on the outside she was the image of perfection. She was the most photographed woman in the whole world.
I struggle with comparing myself to the women around me and I rarely measure up. I'm overweight (actually I'm considered obese), my hair is usually wet and pulled up, I don't wear make-up most of the time, and my style is all about comfort and is no where near today's trends. But I secretly long to look like a super model sometimes. But if I did my life would be consumed with eating the right foods, working out at the gym, spending tons of time grooming myself in the mornings, constantly shopping for the new trends. After all that, would I have time for God (especially considering I have two babies to care for also)? And would it make me happy? My marriage, family and spiritual life would all suffer. I'm not saying its wrong to want to look nice but it is wrong to be totally consumed to the point that God and family are neglected. I have to admit that I need to watch my weight. Not just because I don't like the way I look but because I feel better when I'm thinner. But thin to me is a lot different than thin by Hollywood's definition. I want to get to a weight that is healthy.
First Peter 3:4-5 tells us that our beauty "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."
"When a physically attractive woman walks by, we notice-men particularly! But that's the end of it. Her beauty makes a fleeting, momentary impression. But a woman who cultivates inner beauty, who fears God and lives to serve others, makes a difference in people's lives. Her beauty makes a lasting impact on the lives she touches. Godly, inner beauty makes an indelible mark on the lives of others and glorifies God."
Until next time! Donna
"God exposes our pursuit of the perfect figure and beauty to be idolatrous."
It is a sin to be totally consumed in it because it takes our focus off of God. It is a modern day idol and God speaks very sternly against idolatry in the prophet books of the Bible. His chosen people turned their backs on him in pursuit of idol worship. It broke his heart. He longed for his people to turn from their sin and come back to him.
After all this striving to be perfect, it still will not bring lasting happiness and fulfillment. Relationships fail and worlds fall apart...just look at the life of princess Diana. She had the story book wedding. But her life was filled with divorce, depression, loneliness, ongoing bulimia, and suicide attempts. But on the outside she was the image of perfection. She was the most photographed woman in the whole world.
I struggle with comparing myself to the women around me and I rarely measure up. I'm overweight (actually I'm considered obese), my hair is usually wet and pulled up, I don't wear make-up most of the time, and my style is all about comfort and is no where near today's trends. But I secretly long to look like a super model sometimes. But if I did my life would be consumed with eating the right foods, working out at the gym, spending tons of time grooming myself in the mornings, constantly shopping for the new trends. After all that, would I have time for God (especially considering I have two babies to care for also)? And would it make me happy? My marriage, family and spiritual life would all suffer. I'm not saying its wrong to want to look nice but it is wrong to be totally consumed to the point that God and family are neglected. I have to admit that I need to watch my weight. Not just because I don't like the way I look but because I feel better when I'm thinner. But thin to me is a lot different than thin by Hollywood's definition. I want to get to a weight that is healthy.
First Peter 3:4-5 tells us that our beauty "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."
"When a physically attractive woman walks by, we notice-men particularly! But that's the end of it. Her beauty makes a fleeting, momentary impression. But a woman who cultivates inner beauty, who fears God and lives to serve others, makes a difference in people's lives. Her beauty makes a lasting impact on the lives she touches. Godly, inner beauty makes an indelible mark on the lives of others and glorifies God."
Until next time! Donna
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