1 Peter 3:3-4 New International Version (NIV)
3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
This week was a gentle lesson. Not one that flipped my world upside down but one that made me examine my heart and what I truly believe and post about. I had the flu since Friday and it was a strong. I don’t think I have ever gotten it the way I did. My body ached, I was running a fever, for some reason my eyes were swollen and because I also had a cough I was not getting any good sleep. I felt horrible! So because of this I kept rubbing my eyes, blowing my nose, touching face and make up was not an option. For me its doing my eyebrows, eyeshadow mascara and some blush. My routine its that simple, but it makes a difference to my outward appearance.
It was weird that I was a bit hesitant about not wearing make up to work. Why did it even matter? I mean it was just work. As the week progressed I knew why I had been hesitant because of the way others would see me. I listed below the comments I received during my no make up weeeknand what my thoughts were at the moment. I don’t think the comments came from a place of negativity but of observation.
“You look sick”-Which I was. “You don’t look like yourself”-I think I looked the most like myself since I was all natural. “You look weird”-I actually don’t have a comment for this one.lol. “You look older”-Cool, because I am turning 30. “You look pale”- Yep I did.”What’s wrong with you”-Um I don’t know my body is fighting a virus so maybe its that.
While you may think these were negative in nature I totally do not see them that way. People were just telling me what they were observing, not a big deal. I do think though that they affected me in some way because by Wednesday I was asking myself ” Am I not pretty, if I am not wearing make up or doing my hair, I mean I think I’m pretty?” Woah, insecurities coming on. Excuse me, does not beauty come from within, is what I kept hearing inside myself. I was definitely confused for a second. And side note I sounded so vain asking myself “am I not pretty” but in light of keeping honest I want to tell you that was an actual thought in my head.
How easily do we let the comments of others determine our beauty, determine our look determine how we feel about ourselves. How easily we let things as superficial as make up or clothes determine whether we are beautiful or not. How can we base our confidence on things that fade with time? As the week progressed though it made me dig deeper into what God spoke about beauty. God does not see beauty as something outward but something that is inward. God sees beauty through your heart.
I think the one piece of scripture that spoke to me the most this week is the one I quoted In the beginning because it speaks exactly to what I was attributing my beauty towards that week. I am usually confident but for some reason or another I doubted that my beauty was within and that was a heart check moment.
Want to know something cool though? The whole week I had my co workers ask me every day how I was doing. Laughing when I made jokes and really caring for my well being. Even my husband was such a rock star telling me how beautiful he thought I was as I blew my nose on the couch making elephant noises onto the tissue. All these things all this love I was receiving was not coming from what I looked like but for who I was.
Don’t get it twisted though I believe women should work on their outside as well. Keeping fit because the body God gave us is ours to take care of until we get new bodies. Putting on some make up because why not accentuate your good looks. Wearing cute clothes on a date with the Hubs because he is a visual creation. All these things just add on to your beauty they don’t take away what true beauty is.
True beauty does not fade with time. True beauty is not a counterfeit of someone else’s. True beauty is not the brand of clothe you wear.True beauty is non tangible. So I say to you with confidence “No make up No Problem.”
notlostbutfound 