“Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God and accepted the authority of their husbands. For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do.”
Ladies, we’re still in the spotlight until tomorrow’s post. But guys don’t gloss over these verses — they matter for you too. Everyone in our society has a messed up view of women. Women objectify women (including themselves); men objectify women (including their wives). We claim to be liberated, but even women who appear empowered often continue to sexualize themselves or others. There is virtually nothing in American culture that gets it right on women.
So let’s talk about beauty. If we think about everything we know about the divide between flesh and spirit — earthly and heavenly — we know that some things last and some things don’t. We know that with money, we can’t store it up for ourselves because it doesn’t make the trip to heaven with us. Beauty is the same. Genuine beauty is eternal. It cannot fade. It cannot streak down your face or rip or break. Both Christian men and women need to reject earthly definitions of beauty that are simply rotting away.
Here’s your freedom for today: the beauty of your spirit cannot fade. Ladies, what is your view of yourself? Men, what are you placing value on when you look at women? Makeup, clothes, shoes, jewelry, and even our earthly bodies do not make it into the kingdom of God. Kept in perspective, these things may have some basic use here on earth. But let us not use earthly things to co-opt the definition of an eternal reality. Perhaps the most beautiful thing ever seen is a redeemed soul deeply abiding in the Holy Spirit. A life transformed. The fruit of the Spirit embodied and lived out both in public and in private. Jesus was beautiful. Esther was beautiful. Abigail was beautiful. Sarah was beautiful. Deborah was beautiful. Your free self is beautiful.