"Charm can be deceiving, and
beauty fades away, but a woman who honors the LORD deserves to be praised." PROVERBS
31:30
The world’s
version of beauty stares at us from every direction. Magazines, movies, and
other media products flaunt models with flowing hair, knockout smiles, and
sculpted figures. Although we know the pictures aren’t true to life, we can’t
always stop ourselves from falling into the comparison trap. It’s a game we are
destined to lose because we all fall short of those computer-enhanced versions
of beauty.
As we strive to be comfortable with our
physical appearance, let’s not forget that our children—both sons and
daughters—are fighting the same battle. Our desire is to build our children’s
confidence whenever and however we can. The challenge lies in learning how to
compliment their physical appearances without having it backfire—either because
they become vain or (more likely) because they don’t believe what we say.
Many times, our
children reject our comments about their beauty because we’re Mom and we’re
supposed to see their beauty. But more often it’s because none of us truly
believes we’re beautiful until we see ourselves through God’s eyes. God always
looks beneath the skin straight to our hearts and souls. What He finds is a
wonderful creation that is unique in every way, a person who is trying to be
more like Him every day. And that’s beautiful.
When we ask God
to help us see ourselves like He does, we’ll discover treasures that we never
imagined. The more we learn to appreciate those treasures and shine from the
inside out, the more beautiful we become to ourselves and to others.
Sure, it would be nice to look like that cover
model. But having a beauty that’s covered with God is one of the most valuable
examples we can ever show our children.
Prayer: Lord,
thank You for the wonderful creation I am. Help me love myself for what’s on
the inside, not based on what I see in the mirror. Then teach me how to instill
the same perspective in my children. Amen.
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