Tuesday, May 22, 2012

May 21, 2012

When we are born, we begin the aging process.  We are born to die.  Strange to think about but nevertheless, extremely true.  So as time goes by, you notice changes in your appearance.  It might be a few pounds, widening of the hips, wrinkles, gray hair.  There are numerous changes that occur in a woman's body every day.  What does all of it mean?

It means that if you try to hold onto your beauty; it will fade.  So when you look in the mirror, there will be no question to the changes that are occurring and that will continue to occur.  When we are young, most of our focus is on our beauty, especially if you want to attract a mate.  More time is put into exercise,  clothes, makeup and other beauty enhancements.  As you get older those same things are important to you but the effects are much less noticeable and are assured not to last.

Does that mean we throw ourselves down and forget to take care of ourselves?  Absolutely not!  If you're 20 or 90, continue to do the things that make you feel good about yourself,  just don't hold them as an idol.  God gives us our beauty and it comes in many different forms.  We need to treasure the appearances He gave to us but not to the point of worshiping how we look.

Yesterday, I was in a doctors office and I noticed what I thought was a young woman.  She was conversing with a teenager.  You can imagine my shock when she got up and it was her son she was taking in.  She had to be in her 40's but she was dressed like she was 20.  We can't take the world's view of self.  We must look farther into ourselves and ask ourselves what our motives are and if they are right with the Lord.

The truth is that we will all age.  And if you look around, you will see beautiful women in their 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's and beyond.  However, it's not just how they look on the outside that matters.  It's the wisdom, faith, dedication, love and joy they bring to the table.  It's walking with God daily and finding Him in every situation that makes them far more beautiful.

Take some time this week to talk to someone older than yourself.  They have walked with God longer,  loved Him better and have treasured the relationship far more than their beauty.  We will all be there someday and I want us to be the kind of women that can look in the mirror and say, beauty is fleeting but Godliness is eternal.  Wrinkles are guaranteed to come but faith isn't.  Spend time in your mirror this week contemplating God's greatness, His sacrifice for us, and His word!  Those things will never fade.

Proverbs 31:30 NKJV:

     Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
     But a woman who fears the Lord,
     She shall be praised.

This is the woman I want to be.  Are you up for the challenge?  The reward is far greater than being the most beautiful woman in the world.  If you achieve this, you have the praise of our Lord!  Take that to the mirror this week and praise Him for your life.

My prayer today:

O, Lord, how great you are.  You are wondrous in all Your ways.  You bring us into this world and provide our faces, bodies, personalities, and more.  We are Your creation.  But the world tells us that beauty is far more important than anything else in life.  When you are beautiful, you can have the world.  And yet, beauty fades and with it, our self-esteem.  Help us to be women of You.  Lift us up so that we can see far beyond our outward appearances and give us faith that moves mountains.  We want to fear You Lord and be faithful servants all our days.  Grant us Your favor as we walk with You and help us encourage others as the days grow longer and our beauty fades.  At the end of this journey, I want to know that my outward beauty faded but what I lost; I gained on the inside.  Make us followers of Your word always.  We want to be in Your presence today!  In Jesus name, AMEN

Until tomorrow...

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