Today’s society has blinded us with an idealistic picture of “beauty.” The media tells us that beauty is having a slim waistline with a curvy bottom and flawless face. And when a man tells you you’re beautiful, this is when you can truly believe it. But wait, here’s the catch, the Creator of Man has already proven to you that you are beautiful. He reminds us of this every day.
So why is it so difficult for us to wrap our brain around this fact?
Possibly because, at the core of women, we are grounded in this idea that when man tells us we are beautiful, we are able to truly believe it because he is physically in front of us, observing our characteristics. But Truth tells women that undying beauty stems from virtue and character which we all hold. When it comes to beauty, women react with the fear that they will fall short of man's desired expectation and the resentment that she will never be able to overcome this. Women have an innate need to be loved and accepted as they are.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be beautiful, but putting ourselves through extended amounts of surgery should never be the answer to finding this beauty. The bible is clear on stating that the Lord cares more about a beautiful heart than a beautiful head of curls.
With these unreasonable beauty standards come hatred and envy. We can’t lie, at some point comparing ourselves to someone else has led to self-doubt, low self-esteem and self-hatred. I know we’re all tired of the cliché line “We’re all beautiful in our own way,” but let me put it to you this way, think of two of the most beautiful pieces of art. I’ll go ahead and say The Starry Night and The Mona Lisa. While both of these works of art are masterpieces, one is not better than the other, they are simply different. This is us. This is what He wants us to understand.
While all women are graced with the ability to be sensible and compassionate, He grants us with our own individual gifts that He handpicked himself. We can’t all be blessed with Christina Aguilera lungs or Shakira’s hips that don’t lie, but we bring something unique and beautiful into this world. Whether it takes us 30 years to discover it, it is already in us waiting to be unraveled.
Let me tell you this, you’re beautiful already just because you are a woman.
In the beginning, God created heaven and earth, then he created Man and he was formed from the dust of the earth. Man was created with a unique combination of earthly, natural material and life-giving power from God Himself. At the time, man was God’s most valued creation, and from His most valued creation, He formed woman. Granting women the inevitable gifts found within each of us.
We need your gifts more than ever in the human history. We need your outlook on life and multi-dimensional sensitivity. We need your compassion and care for those around you. We need the willed power you have to be mothering. After all, you are a universe of infinite wonder where all life exists. My point being, while outward attraction and beautification are fine, they should never become what drives you. If you spend more time, money and effort developing outward beauty than exposing your inner beauty, it may be time to rethink your priorities.
Even on your “ugly days,” I want you to look at yourself in the mirror. Imagine yourself as a total stranger looking at exactly what you are looking at. Everything they see is completely new to them. To them, you’re beautiful. To them, it’s a fresh new face. Every one of your "flaws" is not pointed out because to them, it is their first time looking at you.
The reason why we feel like we are not beautiful is because everything we see we are used to. We spend every second of our lives with the body we have. On our bored days, we count the hairs on our arm, maybe even play connect-the-dots with our freckles, because we are familiar with the specks on our skin.
Let me tell you, if you see something all the time and know it so well, it’s hard to find beauty in it, and I understand, except this isn’t the idea the Lord has for us women. In fact, he dedicates an entire chapter to describe the ideal woman. I’m talking about Proverbs 31, a woman who fears the Lord.
Proverbs 31:10 — “She is far more precious than jewels.”
Proverbs 31:17 — “She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong."
Proverbs 31:20 — “She opens her hands to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.”
Proverbs 31:25 — “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.”
Proverbs 31:26 — “She opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”
We should all strive to be a Proverbs 31 woman rather than the idealistic image that society has. Even if the whole world tells you you’re striving for beauty the “wrong way,” you’re really not. You’ll be doing everything right in the eyes of your creator. In the end, isn’t His opinion on us more valuable than what your peers think? Never stop believing you’re beautiful. Never stop trusting that the Lord has made you in a perfect image. Most importantly, never stop striving to be a Proverbs 31 woman.
