Beauty Unfailing

A while ago, probably about April or May of 2011, I set out in search to find the true meaning of beauty.  I wanted to know what true beauty looks like.  This may sound weird to some of you, and that is ok, but hear me out.  I know what the world says is beautiful, but I don’t fit into a lot (if any) of those categories and descriptions.  Does that mean I’m not beautiful?  Of course not, I know that (most of the time).  But if that is what “beauty” is so often thought to be, and I know I am beautiful in a way despite not fitting the descriptions media provides, there has to be more to it. I started questioning: What does God see as beautiful?  What did the creator of all things create beauty to look like?  Well, it’s been almost a year and a half since I started this journey.  I’ve started sounding like a broken record, repeatedly asking God for revelation of true beauty and He has revealed more to me than I expected. 

God clearly opened my eyes to make me realize there is nothing beautiful about me, NOTHING! (again, hear me out).

Ezekiel 16: 4-5 “On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths.  No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.” 

 Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!” I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked

 “‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.

“‘I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you.  I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen.  And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

That was hard to come to terms with at first, but He very quickly followed that up with, “apart from me you have nothing, including beauty.  But I make you beautiful, my Spirit in you makes you beautiful.”    And it is true, I am not writing this with the intention of putting myself down in anyway, quite the opposite.  I feel more beautiful now than I ever have in my entire life, and I know that is because the Lord has given me a new heart.  Here it is saying that from birth we are sinful, we have no beauty, but as soon as God takes us in and cleanses our hearts, He not only gives us beauty, but beauty that He sees as perfect!

Over the past five and a half years he has rooted out so much ugliness within me to make room for His Holy Spirit and replace me.   I’ve come realize that the inward beauty of the Holy Spirit can completely, 100%, change a person’s outward appearance.  I know how I am when I have separated myself from the Spirit, and trust me I know it’s not pretty-let alone beautiful…  It’s actually quite ugly because I don’t know how to love apart from God.  During this time of seeking answers, a common prayer of mine has been for the Lord to make me radiant.  I love that word- radiant, meaning, sending out rays of light, shining.  That has become one of my heart’s desire, to be radiant.  To radiate Jesus’ light and love to everyone around me- that is what true beauty is.  That is not anything I can do on my own though, I need the Lord to stir that in me. 

Isaish 53 is telling about the Savior to come and it says in verse 2b “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.”  This verse is describing Jesus! Think about that, Jesus had no physical beauty that would draw people to himself, yet He was (and is) one of the most loved men ever to walk this earth.  What does that say about him?  He lived such an amazing and beautiful life of love that drew so many people to him.  Jesus wasn’t known because of his outward appearance, but His LOVE. Let me say that again, Jesus’ ability to love through the Holy Spirit created a true and undeniable beauty within him. 

Psalm 45:10 “The King is enthralled by your beauty!”

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

YOU ARE LOVED!