There have been a few older women in my life that make the Gospel VERY unattractive. They are unhappy, legalistic and extremely critical. If someone in their life isn't acting "Christian" or they aren't dressing modestly, they let them know in a critical way. They usually see the worst in everyone and are no fun to be around at all.
There have been other women who adorn the Gospel with the way they live their life. They are kind, loving, encouraging and positive. They are a joy to be around and after being with them, you are uplifted and happy. What kind of a woman are you? Do you see the cup half empty or half full? Do you base your joy on your circumstances or on all of the riches you have in Christ? It's supposed to be obvious to anyone who's looking that there's a huge difference between those who believe in Jesus and those who don't. The difference should be crystal clear. Unfortunately, that's not always the case.*
Women in our society spend billions of dollars trying to make themselves beautiful on the outside; makeup, hair styling, clothing, creams and potions, exercise, plastic surgery, etc. yet spend little time on becoming beautiful on the inside. I can tell you women, yes, men appreciate a well-groomed woman, but they much more appreciate a kind, joyful, warm, and generous woman. People will remember our looks for a moment but our inward beauty influences them long after we have left them. A gorgeous woman can become ugly if she is critical and unkind, whereas a plain woman becomes beautiful if she has a meek and quiet spirit who cares more about others than herself. Sadly, we often obsess over the type of beauty that fades, while we neglect the type that lasts - the unfading beauty of the heart, which is of great value in God's eyes {1 Peter 3:4}.*
Do any of you remember when I wrote the post about the Olympic ice skater Meryl Davis and when she was on Dancing with the Stars? I encourage you to read the post I wrote about her and how her gentleness and softness changed her partner, Maks who was known as a being arrogant and difficult to work with. No matter how upset and angry he would get with her, she would respond in a gentle and soft way and won Maks with her behavior. I don't know if she is a Christian but she put many of us who call ourselves Christians to shame!
In closing, I want to quote a statement made by a Spanish-speaking woman in the Dominican Republic, "He took me from being a feminist young woman - selfish and with earthly desires - to a new young woman. I didn't want to get married or have kids. I was studying medicine with the intention of just being rich and economically powerful. I was pretty opposite of God's design for me. After digging in His Word, everything began to change. My desires, goals in life, purpose - everything! Now He made me love my design and I can't stay quiet about this with other girls. Here I am giving up medicine for studying the Bible. It looks like craziness to people, but I know Whom I believe."*
Learn to appreciate God's design for you. He wants you to be a soft and gentle woman of God; one who seeks hard after Him to know Him and to live for Him. He wants us to have His goals for our life, not society's goals. He transforms our heart and makes us beautiful. There is nothing more beautiful than a woman who is sold out for Jesus!
Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain:
but a woman that fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
Proverbs 31:30
Watch the accompanying video on Beauty HERE.
Do any of you remember when I wrote the post about the Olympic ice skater Meryl Davis and when she was on Dancing with the Stars? I encourage you to read the post I wrote about her and how her gentleness and softness changed her partner, Maks who was known as a being arrogant and difficult to work with. No matter how upset and angry he would get with her, she would respond in a gentle and soft way and won Maks with her behavior. I don't know if she is a Christian but she put many of us who call ourselves Christians to shame!
In closing, I want to quote a statement made by a Spanish-speaking woman in the Dominican Republic, "He took me from being a feminist young woman - selfish and with earthly desires - to a new young woman. I didn't want to get married or have kids. I was studying medicine with the intention of just being rich and economically powerful. I was pretty opposite of God's design for me. After digging in His Word, everything began to change. My desires, goals in life, purpose - everything! Now He made me love my design and I can't stay quiet about this with other girls. Here I am giving up medicine for studying the Bible. It looks like craziness to people, but I know Whom I believe."*
Learn to appreciate God's design for you. He wants you to be a soft and gentle woman of God; one who seeks hard after Him to know Him and to live for Him. He wants us to have His goals for our life, not society's goals. He transforms our heart and makes us beautiful. There is nothing more beautiful than a woman who is sold out for Jesus!
Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain:
but a woman that fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
Proverbs 31:30
Watch the accompanying video on Beauty HERE.
*True Woman 201: Interior Design—Ten Elements of Biblical Womanhood, ©2015 by Mary A. Kassian and Nancy Leigh DeMoss. Used with permission of Moody Publishers. You can buy the book HERE.
