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by Gail Rodgers
She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Pushing back her shoulders and tucking in her tummy, she gave her hair another run through with her fingers. No matter what she did these days, she just wasn’t satisfied with her appearance. Maybe just a few more pounds off or some more new clothes; maybe a new hair style or color. Just what did she need to give her that image she so desired? Like the queen in the fairytale Snow White, Stacy wanted the mirror to tell her she was the fairest in the land … or at least in the office!
Beauty is honored in our culture. We want to be beautiful and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to look the best we can. Yet the Barbie doll image is encountered at a very young age and we buy into the myth that physical appearance and possessions are the score cards of this life. Oh, they are important! First impressions do speak loudly. We are wise to care for our bodies and to tastefully pay attention to our appearance. Yet when we buy into the pre-occupation of self, we actually rob ourselves in several ways. Long-term investment of this kind can leave us feeling bankrupt both emotionally and spiritually.
Ask yourself these questions to see if you are overspending your emotional and spiritual bank account in the hopes of buying security and satisfaction through your appearance.
Am I so absorbed in what I wear and how I look that I am failing to notice the wrinkles of poor attitudes or the sagging lines of deception that are creeping into my heart?
The loveliest appearance is quickly tarnished when harsh words, poor attitudes or loss of integrity becomes evident. The true beauty of a woman is more than what meets the eye. Get balanced in your care of yourself by taking time to daily look into the mirror of God’s Word. He will bring a perspective to your heart that will balance your life and radiate in your countenance!
Have I bought into the value system that says my worth comes from the number of heads I can turn?
Katie desperately wanted to feel attractive. So she dressed and acted in ways to seduce the looks and actions of men. She believed their attention assured her of her attractiveness and her value. This false sense of worth led her to an affair that was both distasteful to herself and costly to her marriage.
The desire to be desirable is often said to be the “lust of the flesh” for women. Be careful.
It’s not wrong to want to be attractive; just be very wise in knowing your worth as a woman does not come from the responses you get from the opposite sex.
Does my confidence come from my closet, or am I confident in who I am regardless of a bad hair day or a few extra pounds?
As Christian women, the root of our confidence should not be in ourselves, not in how we look nor in all we can do. No, our confidence is in Jesus as our Source and Resource for all we need in life. He is the One who can guide us and provide us with the evidence of what a truly confident woman looks like. The love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, humility and self control that comes from Him will overshadow any wardrobe, any day.
A humble woman knows her confidence is in Jesus. Although humility has become a “face in the dirt” word in our culture, the true meaning is one of having your confidence rightly placed. That is true humility—knowing your Source is beyond yourself.
To keep the balance in your life between outward and inward beauty, simply pay attention to how you clothe yourself inwardly as well as outwardly. Take care to be lovely in your appearance but do not neglect the inward beauty of your heart. Outward beauty alone is hollow and fleeting. Vanity has a price, and it steals from the heart.
Tomorrow, when you pause at your closet to pick out your clothes or stand before the mirror to fix your hair, remember these words from the heart of your Father God, who wants all His daughters to be beautiful.
“Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience ... And over all these virtues put on love..." (Colossians 3: 12,14a).
Father God,
It’s so easy to buy into this world’s value system, which says that my worth comes from my outward beauty. I can get so pre-occupied with myself and my things. Forgive me, Lord. I want to be a woman whose inward beauty shines forth even on my bad hair days. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and clothe me with compassion, kindness, gentleness, patience and love. Let my confidence rest in You as my Source. Help me to be wise in caring for my outward appearance as well. Make me lovely in Your eyes. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Gail Rodgers has a passion for discovering and sharing how the Scriptures apply in very practical ways where we live and walk each day. She is a wife, mother of three, businesswoman and a pastor to women. She resides in Alberta, Canada with her family. Click to order Gail's new devotional book, Everything You Need, or visit her web site at www.gailrodgers.ca.
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