This is something I wrote earlier in the year. It really proves a point in my obsession with inner beauty though. Enjoy :]
So I've been reading Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge and something that have stuck out to me so far is the topic of beauty. Beauty in our society today means so very little. All the concern is latched onto the appearance. "You have to be 'x' tall to be beautiful. Your hair has to look like this. Your dress size that." It's all so very sad.
When you're young, you don't think about it. If one of my little sisters asks me if they're pretty or beautiful or whatever, I tell them "Of course you are." and they walk away satisfied. They don't dismiss the statement or say "No I'm Not". They take it as truth, are content, and go about their business.
Fast forward a few years later at maybe 12 or 13 and the concern is "Does this boy like me? Will those girls let me hang out with them? Maybe I'm not pretty enough..." Sound familiar? Every woman goes through this. Wondering if they're truly worth it. I struggle with it daily. There are those days where I have 5 zits on my chin, my hair isn't doing what I want it to, and my clothes seem a little bit tighter than yesterday.
Beauty is entrusted to every woman. Not one is overlooked. EVERY woman is beautiful. Wasn't it even Jesse McCartney (as much as I despise his music) who said he didn't want another pretty face? It's not just the appearance that matters. A woman's soul is precious, fragile, and must be sought. In Genesis, Eve was not only physically beautiful. She was there to be an ezer kenegdo which means in a nutshell "sustainer".
Beauty is comfort. Why do you think the beach or the mountains are so attractive to most people? Not just for recreational get away, but for the comfort and enjoyment of natural, untouched beauty. We as women are not just for looking at. We are to nurture others. To comfort, to soothe.
That doesn't mean we can't be strong and courageous too. Think of Esther, Deborah, Rahab, and other women in the Bible who did very brave things. Esther saved an entire race of people. Deborah was a judge and led armies. Rahab helped the spies in Jericho escape from ever present death. We are called to be life givers. To uplift and encourage.
There is so much more to a woman than meets the eye. The heart of a woman is a complex and fragile thing. Sometimes easily broken but not easily repaired. In this day and age I'm sure you've seen on TV the amount of murders and robberies and all seem very attracted to the destruction of a woman's femininity. Satan doesn't want us to acknowledge our calling. He wants us walking around blind. Stripped of our idenity.
It's sad that many women feel they have to "tough up" and abandon all forms of "womanness" to feel like they can protect themselves. I'm guilty of this myself. We put up our front and convince others that we can fend for ourselves since it seems no one else will. In reality, the women who do this are usually hurt the most. The front, the "tough girl act" is all to avoid getting hurt, or getting take advantage of, or whatever the case may be.
Does that mean we should just render ourselves helpless damsels in distress? No, of course not. But it's not a bad thing to let your hair down and show the truth. To let people know that you can't do it on your own. We're not meant to be alone. God said in the beginning that it is not good for man to be alone. Mankind in general, of course. We were made to rely on each other for support and encouragement and fellowship. No man is an island.You rarely ever see any one teenage girl alone. Usually she at least has one friend by her side. A best friend at most often times.
Every woman needs to know she is special. Every woman needs to know she is beautiful. Every woman needs to know her value. Even if she messes up, it's ok. She's still loved. Every woman needs to know that she is adored by her Father. THE Father of all fathers. God is enthralled by me. ME. Insignificant, small, ordinary me. He is enthralled by me. He CHOSE me. If he didn't have to die for anyone else except for me, he still would have done it. He loves me. Despite my quirks, my flaws, my shortcomings. I am special to him. I am his favored child. I needn't worry about anything because he has it under control.
That goes the same for everyone else. Whoever you are (if anyone is reading this), You are special to God. You are his prize. You are his joy. He loves to see you smile. He loves to hear your laugh (no matter how obnoxious YOU think it is). He is enthralled by you. Your beauty (or if you're a guy, handsomeness) takes his breath away.
He doesn't love just the "good people". The ones that are in church whenever the doors are open. The ones who go on every mission trip available. The ones who attend every conference, every bible study, every fellowship thing. He loves them too, don't get me wrong. But He loves the "ordinary" ones too. The homeless man on the sidewalk. The prostitute. The man who abuses his wife and children. The terrorists. The unlovable people. The people who get on our nerves. That annoying co-worker who just loves to make work life miserable for everyone. The one kid in class who has an attitude. The teenager who drove drunk, wrecked his parent's car and killed a woman coming home from the late shift at her second job.
God loves everyone. Not just love. But Agape. A deeper love than we can comprehend. A non-conditional, never fickle love. There's no end to it. I wish I could love like that. Especially when I don't feel like loving. I wish I could be more like Jesus. I strive to be. I seem to fall so often and it feels like he could never love me after what I just did. But he does. He does and needs not explain himself. He just loves us because he does.
I imagine I'll have more to write on this subject. This was just so heavy on my heart that I had to write it out.
Take it to heart :]
- Eden
