"Charm is deceptive, and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."
~Proverbs 31:30~
Are you beautiful on the inside?? When God made us, he said we were very good, and we are. However, he also gave us free will to be or not to be beautiful on the inside. So often we miss this type of beauty and only see the outer appearance of people. What is inner beauty anyway???
One of the first aspects of inner beauty we see in others is their smile and conversation. If getting a smile from someone makes you feel loved, why aren't you giving one to everyone you meet? Smiles, as well as all your facial expressions, tell others a lot about yourself. Of course if your having a bad day, no one expects you to smile, but every other day, you should be smiling because God made you and loves you and wants to be with you forever! We have every reason in the world to smile. =) Not to mention people are definitely drawn to happy people. In addition to smiles, caring words like "how are you?" and "how was your day" can really impact others. But you have to really mean it when you say it and actually listen to their answer. Sincere loving words change others and point them to Christ whether they know it or not.
Loving deeds are the most significant sign of beauty. It makes people stop and say "wow, I wish I were like that." How often do you do kind deeds?? Beauty comes from love. It may just be helping someone with homework, sharing a piece of candy, holding the door, or saving a seat for someone, but everything we do for others we are doing for Christ Himself. Is that not awesome!! However, when we perform acts of kindness, we can't expect anything in return; otherwise, we are not truly doing it in love. "They made me see that the world was beautiful if you were beautiful, and that you couldn't get unless you gave. And you had to give without wanting to get." (488, The Once and Future King) True acts of kindness are a small reflection of God Himself who is love and has perfect beauty.
I have one last question. How often do we tell other people that they are beautiful? Every girl longs to know she is beautiful. People who think that they are ugly feel horrible. They feel like trash. They try everything they can to change the way they look. Encouraging others and reminding others of their beauty is so important. For a long time, I did not believe that I was beautiful. I was always comparing myself with other girls’ outer appearances and thinking to myself "she is so much prettier than I am. I have thick, curly red hair and acne. How could anyone think that I am beautiful?" Last summer, a guy told me I was beautiful, not because he liked me or anything, but as a friend. I cried afterwards for so long and I felt so different. He told me I was amazing and beautiful. No guy had ever said that to me before. I didn’t just know it anymore, I believed it. After that, I didn’t compare myself with other girls anymore. Tell someone they are beautiful. You may just change their world. The awesome part is that by doing so you are showing your inner beauty as well.
Beauty of the heart is demonstrated in many ways: smiles, kind words, charitable deeds, and encouragement toward others. At the end of the day, when you say your prayers, take a moment to reflect on the beauty you saw during the day and thank your lover for his gift to you. Take a moment to reflect on your actions and words. Were they beautiful? Did you do something kind for someone today? Did you say something loving to someone? The more we become beautiful on the inside, the more we shine on the outside.
© Teresa Mattingly. All Rights Reserved.
