From the Inside-Out
Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.~ 1 Peter 3:3-4 (ESV)
We are getting bombarded with advertising on how to make old skin look younger. Even when I scroll through Facebook once in a while, I see all sorts of creams that promise younger looking skin. That got me thinking (I know — thinking usually gets me into trouble)…
What truly makes a woman beautiful? The skin? The body? Of course I want to look good for my husband. I do my daily regiments (which seem to get longer as I get older 🙂 ) to keep my skin clean and ‘presentable’. But is that the only way I am beautiful? Reading Peter’s words about beauty, I think that we should look also at the beauty within. A quiet and gentle spirit.
But how can I obtain a gentle and quiet spirit? This world is hard and angry. It is not easy to keep quiet and gentle all the time. You know what works for me in situations where I want to just speak up? I stop and pray. I pray that God will give me His gentle Spirit to respond to someone who is lashing out at me. If I would react on my first impulse, nothing good will come out of it. If I rely on Him though, I am calm and collected.
Paul writes in his letter to the believers in Colossi:
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ~ Colossians 3:12-13 (ESV)
Let God invade you heart today. Let Him make you beautiful within. The beauty that comes from within, will also show outward.
Lord of Heaven & Earth. I am asking you this morning to give me a quiet and gentle spirit. I know that You make me beautiful within and outward. Lord, with Your Spirit I can show the world what true beauty means. I love you Lord. In Jesus’ precious name I pray. Amen
A recipe for inner beauty and inner peace. Those look good on us.
Amen, Iris. I yearn for a gentle and quiet spirit as well.
Wonderful post Iris! Beauty comes from within.