Beauty.
So many of us search desperately for beauty every morning when we look in the mirror. Others look for it on magazine covers, knowing that they’ll find perfect looking people that they’ll never compare with. Some people even have surgery, trying to attain that image of perfection.
But can anyone explain why we look for beauty on the outside? Can we really back up our search with logical answers?
…Jesus wants us to be beautiful.
…I’m just trying to see what He sees.
…How I spend my money is up to me. If I want to improve myself, you can’t judge me for it.
C’mon. How much sense does that make?
Jesus already made us beautiful.
If we want to see what He sees, why don’t we use that extra time spent looking in the mirror and instead look in the Bible to see what He says.
Yes we can spend money on what we want, but are we more focused on outer beauty instead of inner beauty? Do we spend as much time on the inside as the outside?
I didn’t. I struggled with beauty for a long time. We wrestled back and forth, and many days I lost the battle. I believed the lies. And sometimes I still struggle with it. But I’ve learned that it’s not about the outside.
But you probably already know all that, so I’d like to offer you something different to think about.
What if beauty isn’t even about how we look, inside or out?
What if beauty is God? He’s beautiful, after all.
Something to chew on.
One thought that struck me lately about beauty is this: What if beauty is in the letting go? What if beauty is in hoping?
When you’re hurt deeply by a friend or loved one, and you want to hold on to that grudge but you choose to let it go, that’s beauty showing up.
When you lose your child but praise Him anyway, you show beauty.
When your marriage is suffering but you get up each day determined to make it work, you choose beauty.
Hope is beautiful. I know, because I’ve seen the other side. I’ve know what it’s like to not have hope, and it’s a dark road to walk. But when there’s even a little glimmer of hope, life seems brighter, easier, and more beautiful. Hope changes everything.
So does letting go. Sometimes I think it’s harder to let go than have hope. But then other days I believe the opposite is true.
Really, though, they seem to go hand in hand. When you let go, you either hope for things to work out in the end, or you hope to just be able to move on.
That’s how I’ve felt the past 8-9 months. If my friends never come back, if they never love me again, then I still have hope. Oh, I hope and pray they’ll come back. But if they don’t, I have the hope that I’ll move on. The hope that He will bring glory through all of it. The hope that it was worth the pain because His Name was made known.
Beauty comes from darkness. Don’t tell me it isn’t true. Would you know beauty if you had not ever seen something that’s not beautiful? Would you know light if you hadn’t experienced darkness? Would you know pain if you had never felt joy?
Could you let go if you didn’t have hope?
Beauty is in the letting go.
Beauty is in hoping.
Beauty is not just about how we look.
Beauty is profound, yet simple.
And it’s ours for the taking.
What do you need to let go of? What are you hoping for?
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I’m participating in Sarah’s week about beauty. Check out her blog to see what other ladies think about beauty!
beautiful post! Thanks for commenting on mine!
Great post!
Love these lines …
Beauty is profound, yet simple.
And it’s ours for the taking.
Thanks for stopping by my site.
perfect! i wholeheartedly agree. HE makes us beautiful.
Great post! That is definitely an insightful perspective on beauty. Thanks for sharing. :)
LOVE this! I’m so glad you wrote it! And thanks so much for stopping by my blog! I hope you’ll come back!
i agree that Beauty is found in unusual places. yes! for me in hoping, persevering, overcoming, in grace and mercy. Beauty is in the mess of life.
so glad to have blog met you.
and i loved your about me. i’m not a great dancer (white as you describe yourself), but i LOVE to, and will dance.
Thank you all for the wonderful comments. You ladies are great. :)
Look for beauty in God’s word instead of in the mirror? Brilliant. Seriously. I love that. Thank you.
What a great perspective – I love this … beauty is definitely in the letting go and the hoping. And, yes I agree that we would not know beauty if we did not first experience the ugly side of things. Thanks for writing and sharing.
I *really* love how you said it’s ours for the taking. YES!! Wonderful post! :)
~Jennifer
Love love love it! Beauty is indeed found in our God for He is beauty. Outstanding! Thank you for sharing this lovely post.
Thank you all! I really appreciate it! :D
GREAT POST! I think you are right… beauty is GOD…. It’s not about how we look, it’s about HIM in us… He has made us to bear His beauty… He has made us to bear Him. We are His image bearers.. We are the bearers of beauty.. His beauty.
Well put, very well put! I found you from Sarah’s blog. I’m glad I did.
So very true and beautifully said. Would be nice to have young girls reading such
Love it! I agree, Jesus did make us beautiful… it’s up to us what we do with that beauty! :)
i love what you said about beauty coming from darkness. thank you so much for posting. =)
thank you Sonja! I’m glad you stopped by to visit. :)
Saw your link on Blog Frog. Wonderful post!!