Beauty That Lasts

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.

Proverbs 31:30

There was a show on television where young women competed to be models. They lived together and were guided by experienced models. As the weeks passed, there was competition among the contestants to look the most beautiful and to present themselves and their outfits in the best way so they’d appear to be the most likely to succeed as a professional model.

There was a lot of drama among the contestants as they felt the pressure to be the best. Relationships that were formed at the beginning of the competition started to crumble. Because they desired to be the best, the contestants pushed themselves to their limits and became more competitive as the show got closer to choosing a winner.

A lot of people want to impress others by having the perfect body or a beautiful face. They spend their time and money trying to look pretty. God gave you the looks you have, so it’s certainly not wrong to care about your appearance or to take care of yourself. After all, you’re a princess of the heavenly King, so be the best princess you can be. But use your looks to honor God, not to hurt others or to get your own way.

Although there’s so much emphasis in our culture on being beautiful, inner beauty is much more important than outward beauty. Outward beauty doesn’t last. Looks change. People age. But inner beauty grows and increases as you grow closer to Jesus and become more like him. Constantly worrying about your hairstyle or outfit, or wishing you looked more like the popular girls, drains the energy you can use to excel at being who God made you to be. Others are trying to fit in, but God calls you to stand out.

Focus your thoughts and your heart on being beautiful to God. When others see your looks, God sees your inner thoughts and feelings. He knows your desires, your motivations, and your priorities. When you seek to put God first in everything, you’ll shine in his eyes. And you’ll have beauty that lasts.

Take a good look at yourself in the mirror. Thank God for the special way he made you. Think about your inner beauty. What characteristics show your inner beauty? Are you compassionate? Do you radiate joy? Are you full of kindness? Ask God to help you develop the inner characteristics that make you more like Jesus each day.