your beauty

“Let your beauty not be external - the braiding of hair and wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes - but the inner person of the heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.” 1 Peter 3:3-4 (NET) In another translation, verse 4 says, "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."

This morning I found myself reading this scripture and taking time to reflect on its meaning as a woman who wants to reflect her creator.

First, I was reminded of the concept of mirrors that my friend Lara developed for her weekend events for women. Basically, the message is this. All of us are looking into one of three mirrors - either the mirror of pop culture and what it's telling us we need to look like, the mirror of self-judgment, based on certain things we hold onto internally that are often tainted, or the final mirror of the truth of God's word and God's perspective. I got excited thinking about finding a few scripture verses to memorize and keep close by so that I can keep my mind centered on that third mirror, the mirror of my Creator's truth about me. If I'm going to keep internal beauty real, then my thoughts and perspectives of myself must be based on truth, not my own truth but His truth. I also have to say this doesn't mean as a woman I won't want to look good or enjoy some of the latest fashion trends but I can't base my worth and my identity on that.

I don't think it's a message ladies can hear enough especially with today's culture promoting plastic surgery, the latest fashions and the smallest sizes. Sadly though when we become reduced to our external beauty, we've reduced ourselves to "eye candy" and all the trappings that come with that perspective. It's easy to remain superficial and just build yourself up externally. Where culture focuses on external beauty, your God sees the inward beauty of the heart. Every day you are dressing up your heart and/or stripping away things that keep your hearts true beauty in Christ from shining through. Just as there are things we do to look cute on the outside, there are ways to cultivate internal beauty too.

The other thought I had was that coming from a family of loud mouthed and opinionated Italians and Hungarians, I'm not exactly one you might consider quiet. :) As I looked a little closer, I realized that it's not talking about a quiet voice but a quiet spirit. Did you know that what's on the deepest level of who you are as an individual will seep out, whether you like it or not? The hidden person of the heart is there. You may not say a lot but your spirit may be speaking volumes and it might be really loud with anxiety, fear, anger. At Monday night small group we learned about living the Christ-centered life, where any goodness inside is because God's seed of life is planted in our hearts and as we water that, it grows. The same is true about giving into your flesh and watering that, that's what will take over too.

So then I had to ask myself, what does a quiet spirit look like? How do you water that? The word quiet is also a synonym for tranquil and looking up that word, I found it means free from disturbance, calm, still, composed, even-tempered, generally peaceful. With various pressures and demands in life, it's easy to lose that state of heart and mind. How quickly anxiety, disturbance, and the swing of emotions waits at the door to try and replace a peace found at one time or somewhere in the early morning hours before venturing out of bed.

"....I come, quiet my soul, remember...."

And maybe that's the point in keeping a quiet spirit. All throughout the day, I can come, I need to come to the Creator of this heart of mine, even in little ways, and lay those burdens down, replace them with the strength and joy Christ longs to impart and exude from my life.

Today I'm asking for the fruit of God's spirit in me to be gentle. Gentleness is kind and tender. It's a freedom from harsh, severe actions. Sometimes I need to be gentle with myself. Sometimes I need to be gentle with others. Either way I want that gentle and quiet spirit, one that my Creator has fashioned and formed me to walk in.

Taking the time to focus on what will last, this inner heart life, is time well spent.