Pretty On The Inside

My Grandma was quite fond of telling me, "It's pretty on the inside that counts."  Grandma Witt and I were very close when I was little. I was lucky enough to have her in my life until I was 13. I'm the youngest child of a youngest child, so Grandma was 67 years young when I was born. She was truly an inspiration, and the most Christ-like woman I've ever known, and that is saying a lot because I've been blessed to have many, many wonderful Christ-like women in my life.

This saying has been on my mind quite a bit lately, as I think of how obsessed our society is with physical appearance. Youth and beauty are exalted far beyond and above the place they should take in our lives. A supermarket tabloid proclaimed last week that a plus-sized supermodel was bullied as a teen, and Facebook adds shout to visit a website to see kids who grew up to be ugly adults, and botched face lifts on those who try to conquer father time and reclaim their lost outward beauty. Think about it, aging can actually improve our inner beauty.

According to InStyle Magazine, the average woman spends $15,000 on cosmetics during her lifetime! That's a lot of money and cosmetics only cover outward flaws!! Shouldn't we be much more concerned with our inward flaws?  What's on the inside is what matters to God. I'm not saying we should let ourselves go all natural and be totally unconcerned with our appearance, but wow! $15,000 is a lot of money, that could feed a lot of people in a third world country. I'm saying we should be more concerned with non-cosmetic changes, with what's on the inside.

1 Peter 3:3-4
Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing: rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God's sight.

1 Timothy 4:8

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

Proverbs 31:30
Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.

I took a shower, I have clean hair and clothes that look nice. I think I will go without make up today. Of course, I'm only going to the Post Office...