Is Your Amazing Self Beautiful?

I wrote about our “Amazing Self” yesterday and decided it was time, again, to hit a reset button on myself. This time last year after days of basically ignoring make-up and putting my hair up in a ponytail I decided it was time to do something about myself so I began by cutting 10 inches off the length of my hair and I began the process of repairing the “barn”. Four years ago I had decided to make a change and when my children left the house to have dinner with their dad I got out the hair clippers and shaved my head, I put on the sock-hat I had bought specifically for this having planned it ahead of time. The shock on their faces when they came home was too funny and then I had to face everyone else I knew with this bald head and remembered the scripture, 1Corinthians 11:15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering. I did wonder if I had made a big mistake, too late then, however it was something I had wanted to do since I was about 10 years old and saw the movie, starring Ingrid Bergman, about the life of Joan of Arc, the French religious icon and war heroine, whose head was shaved. I wanted to be the heroine that “saved the day” but being burned at the stake was definitely not part of the plan!

Americans spend over $7 billion a year on beauty products! If I am pointing my finger at you that means I have three pointing back at myself and I am guilty for real. There is $10 billion spent on cosmetic surgery and this fact was dated from when gas was almost $5 a gallon! Why do we feel the need to do this? 2Corinthians 10:12 “But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”

When I was young people would say they bought a new car or house because they wanted to “keep up with the Joneses”, not a pun on “keeping up with the Kardashians” which are actually relatives of the Mushegans, but it meant everyone wanted to be better than their neighbor, which put social and financial pressure on the average family. I heard a young, attractive lady saying she needed to earn money for a “boob job” because (here she rattled off a list of her friends and acquaintances who had the procedure) she felt it was something everyone did and you had to do it to look good. Where are our priorities? What about worrying about the condition of your “heart”?

God sent the prophet to anoint a new King for Israel, after several handsome young men had been dismissed the prophet wondered why, 1Samuel 16:7 But GOD told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. GOD judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; GOD looks into the heart.”

While my head was shaved I put bleach on it and between that and the hair that was naturally turning, my head was a glorious, shining silver! I’ve had it long, short, colored, uncolored, at times worn too much and other times, too little make-up, but when the day is done and I look at myself in the mirror, it’s still just me. Having just passed another birthday I realize that my outside changes with the seasons of my life but the inside is the only thing that matters to God.

I am thinking of a song that says “How about your heart? Is it right with God, that’s the thing that counts today. Is it black by sin or is it pure with-in, could you ask Christ in to stay? People often see you as you are outside, Jesus really knows you for He sees inside.”  Let’s all go to the mirror, look straight into our own eyes and ask this question, “Are you beautiful on the inside?” Zechariah 2:8 “For thus says the LORD of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.” We are the apple of His eye? We are special and beautiful to Him and as I see it, who else matters?

I think it’s time for another reset with me and what better time than the beginning of a new year? So here is to new beginnings, Happy New Year! Maranatha!