“Do ye look on things after
the outward appearance?”
2 Corinthians 10:7
“Though our outward man perish, yet the
inward man is renewed day by day.”
2 Corinthians 4:16
“We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the lord, are changed into the
same image from glory to glory,
even as by the spirit of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 3:18
If we are honest, most of us care about how we look. While the styles change each year, the demand to conform does not. We feel the pressure from all sides as to what we are supposed to look like. Whether our face, our body, or the style and color of our clothes, the importance of our appearance invades our minds in different measures at one time or another. It can take up time, thought, effort, money. But, how important is it? As women, God gave us the desire to be beautiful. He mentions a woman’s beauty in His Word; therefore, we know it has some importance.
While the external is important, it’s easy to forget the greater importance of internal beauty. There is a powerful and amazing beauty that shines through us when we spend time “beholding the glory of the Lord.” As we begin our day, these verses tell us what God wants us to put on:
“put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering” (Col. 3:1212Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; (Colossians 3:12))
And finally, let us put on:
“the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price” (1 Pet. 3:4).
The more we absorb God’s Word, soaking it up like we would soak up the sun for a lovely tan, the more our image is changed. It is amazing to think that even while our outward woman ages, His glory is beautifying us. As we spend time with Him, we absorb His fragrance. His gentleness affects our body language, our tone of voice, even our eyes. His joy lights up our smile. His beauty fills our hearts to overflowing, and it cannot be hidden. “Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us” (Psa. 90:1717And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. (Psalm 90:17)). It’s transforming! The challenge is, which beauty is most evident to those who see us — mine or His? “He is altogether lovely” (Song of Sol. 5:1616His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. (Song of Solomon 5:16)).