Beauty Secrets

"Beauty is only skin deep," they say.  "Ugly goes clear to the bone."  Most of us are not so concerned with the bones, as we are with the padding and skin that goes over our frame.

Every woman wants to be beautiful.  Millions of dollars are spent each year on beauty products.  We buy lotions to smooth our skin and even out its color; powders to brighten cheeks and make our eyes more alluring; wax to soften and color lips.  We purchase sprays to hold hair in place and improve our bodies' scent; shoes to heighten it; the latest clothes to flatter our figures; jewelry for the final touch of glamour.

Surgeries to beautify those parts of our bodies we think are ugly cost a lot in time, effort and money.  We spend hundreds of hours on our bodies so that we will look our best for those we want to impress and for those we love.

How God must long for us to be this lavish about spending time on the condition of our souls.  Our culture focuses on having a beautiful body -- even though it is temporal;  it will fade and die.  Our spirits, internal and invisible, are more important.  They will either live eternally in God's presence or live cut off from Him in an eternal hell if we fail to recognize and accept the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary to cleanse our sin.

What beauty secrets can we apply to the development and growth of our souls?

*  A Joyful Heart.  I will put a sparkle in our eyes, lift our spirits, and put a spring in our steps.  A joyful heart is a woman's best cosmetic.  It will keep us outward-looking and upward-looking rather than inward-looking.  Nehemiah admonished, "Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength," (Nehemiah 8:10 NIV).  King Solomon's description of the ideal woman implies a joyful and enthsiastic heart (Proverbs 31:10-31), even though the word 'joyful' is not used.

*  A Gentle and Quiet Spirit.  Peter also describes the ideal Christian woman -- one who is beautiful in God's sight.  He cautions against concentrating on "outward adornment," (I Peter 3:3).  It is the "gentle and quiet spirit" of a godly woman that will influence an unbelieving husband to make his heart right with God (I Peter 3:1-6).  Paul urges both Timothy and Titus to admonish women in gentleness and quietness at home and in the community (I Timothy 2:9-11; Titus 2: 4-5).

*  A Holy Influence.  Peter encourages both men and women in holiness ( I Peter 3).  He says:
          Guard your minds ( I Peter 3:8-9).  A mind that is in harmony with others, sympathetic compassionate and humble will please God.
          Guard your tongues (I Peter 3:9-10).  No exchanging insults.  No arguing or complaining (Philippians 2:14).  The KJV terms it "murmuring and disputing."  We may not audibly complain, but it is easy to mutter under our breaths or murmur in our spirits when we are crossed.
          Guard your actions (I Peter 3:11-15).  No retaliation or back-biting.  Will my actions reflect Christ to those who do not know Him?
          Guard your consciences (I Peter 3:16-17).  By doing so, we will not be ashamed.

Young women seem to be physically beautiful without much effort.  As we age, it takes increasingly more money, time, and effort to keep up a beautiful facade.  However, every woman who knows and loves God, can be beautiful in His sight and to her loved ones by developing her inner person -- her spirit.  Life may be a painful business, but every woman can be a gorgeous specimen of God's grace by following His beauty secrets.