Inward Beauty🌸

Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God - 1 Peter 3:3-4

This post is definitely one dear to my heart as I continue on my journey of becoming. One of the topics I find we as women shy away from for many reasons. Personally my outward beauty wasn’t something I worried too much about. What I didn’t know was that just as much as God wanted to use my beauty for His glory the enemy wanted to use it for his own purposes. So for many years I used my beauty to bring out the beast in men. It was their attention I craved most so I did and said things quite out of character for acceptance. I’ve been the recipient of some soul crushing statements before.

One that readily comes to mind “you’re average without makeup”. Though I knew I was beautiful and I was never a flashy girl either. I had my fair share of press on nails as a teenager but I often wondered why the things that were “normal” for girls to do I was never really interested in. I always loved to dress up so I expressed some of my talents in the way I dressed creating and designing outfits I wanted for my birthday. Getting inspiration from already made pieces and adding my own flair. My hairstyles weren’t changed every week or anything like that. I’m quite a simple person. As long as I look tidy, some lip gloss and out the door I go. In my early 20s as I fought through an identity crisis. The goldsmiths of life wanted to help me determine my diamond value. I allowed them to and I began to shrink back but my God in heaven wouldn’t have it. I searched for someone like myself and I couldn’t find anyone. Never realizing He wanted me to be a template for His women.

They either wanted me to wear the fake hair, the lashes, the makeup and whatever else. These things don’t define me as a woman and most certainly not as a daughter of God. As I sat with God and He began to show me my heart toward myself. I didn’t love myself either and at the core of all these things usually is a lack of self-love and insecurities. Why do you think that you need to hide what God took His time creating? Infact the same makeup you wear to cover those pimples on your face daily is the reason why the pimples won’t go away. No matter how many facials you get. Until you deal with the internal temperature of who you are, nothing will change. When God transforms you He begins on the INSIDE and as time progresses the outward begins to show forth what is happening internally. Your diet plays an essential role in the appearance of your skin and I don’t just mean what you eat, what you hear, what you see, all of these things affect us whether we accept that or not. Hydration also plays an integral role, drink more water. No one will love you until you love yourself. No one will accept you until you learn to accept yourself. You are precious in God’s sight. Regardless of who doesn’t believe that make sure YOU are not one of those persons. God wants the REAL you and the world needs her too. The more time you spend in His presence the more you will radiate His glory. This skin will eventually become wrinkled, and all the other effects of aging. What’s inside matters more to God. Take the time to get to know yourself, I mean REALLY Know yourself. And may God give you the strength and grace to push through every lie as you become. You are who God says you are, that settles every argument. Come forth in Jesus name, Amen.

Charm is deceptive, beauty is fleeting but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised - Proverbs 31:30