To the Ladies

    So, something that you know if you've known me for a while is that I like watching people.  I like observing the people around me and figuring them out.  I like to observe trends, actions, and cultural differences.  I also like observing common attitudes and mindsets.  Something that I've been observing quite a bit lately is how we as women percieve ourselves, what the culture we live in is telling us, and what some Christians tell us.  To be honest, a lot of the time I think all three have it wrong.

     I will not disagree with you if you say the pressure we face from the culture we live in is huge.  From modern society, we are expected to try every new diet, brand of makeup, and embrace the common sensual, provocative attitude we see displayed everywhere.  We are told our value is based on our appeal and allure. These lies destroy everything beautiful about femininity.

Psalm 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,I know that full well.

Proverbs 30:31 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

     I think that every woman has fought the lies of insecurity.  I know that it has been a battle for me.  I've been guilty of falling for the deceptions of modern, fake beauty.  I've been guilty of seeking people's approval for security.  I've been guilty of trying fad diets and buying special makeup or clothes all in the name of beauty. Thinking about all the ways I and countless other women have bought into lies breaks my heart.

 1 Samuel 16:7  But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

     Who I am in not what I look like, my Father isn't impressed by the same qualities the world is.  He is more concerned about the condition of our hearts.

 This being said, I don't always agree with how Christians seem to approach the area of "self worth" either.  I've read a few books and many of them focused on finding SELF esteem, SELF worth, SELF image, SELF fulfillment.  Something I have learned is that life is not at all about me or "self".  Trying to find self worth or self value by accepting who you are is not going to bring you true fulfillment or satisfaction.  As daughters of the King, we are called to take the same path as Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:5-8 "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself NOTHING by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross!"

Mark 10:43-45 "Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  

     True beauty radiates from a woman who is in an intimate love relationship with Jesus Christ.  True beauty is exemplified in a woman who has has learned the secret that fulfillment is found when she is serving, giving, and loving like Jesus.  She is too caught up in serving her Master and others to be concerned with herself, her woth, her image and fulfillment.  As a matter of fact, she has lost complete sight of herself by being completely captured by her awesome Creator, Lover and Hero.   Rather than worrying about her appearance and who does or doesn't like her, she is focused outward rather than inward.

     "When Christ overtakes a woman’s life and transforms her from the inside out – she becomes truly feminine – a picture of elegance, grace, and loveliness blended with sacrificial selfless devotion to her King. She becomes a true lady, carrying herself with poise and confidence, yet deflecting all attention away from herself and toward Jesus Christ. She is enchantingly mysterious, holding her inner life sacred and guarding her heart with quiet tenacity.  Noble, breathtaking, captivating, Christ-centered femininity is truly a sight to behold. It’s a beauty that does not draw attention to the woman, but to Jesus Christ. It’s a radiance that is not dependent upon age, circumstance, or physical enhancements. It’s a loveliness that flows from deep within – the refreshing beauty of Heaven, of a life transformed from the inside out by Jesus Christ. " -Leslie Ludy

    I want to become that type of woman,  I want to continue to fall in love with my precious Savior and lose complete sight of myself. 

How beautiful are the arms, which have embraced Christ – the eyes which have gazed upon Christ, the lips which have spoken with Christ, the feet which have followed Christ. How beautiful are the hands which have worked the works of Christ, the feet which are treading in His footsteps have gone about doing good, the lips which have spread abroad His Name, the lives which have been counted for Him. -Christina Rosetti