Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, let your beauty come from your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
1 Peter 3:4-6
Let’s talk about beauty. Every woman longs to be beautiful. It’s why the beauty industry is a multi-trillion dollar one. We women will try anything to enhance the way we look. We spend a fortune to look like we weigh less (or have a perfectly curved body), have a flawless complexion, as well as, perfectly coiffed hair and painted acrylic nails. Yes, even boobs have become a “fashion accessory.” We women amaze me. And, lest you think I think there’s something wrong with this, I am just like you. I work hard at looking good, particularly for my guy; and, it is a LOT OF WORK – exhausting and expensive. The guys don’t make it any easier. They want us to look good. No question, the outside is important to them. In one book I read recently, a number of men were surveyed, and the author concluded that well over 80% of men connect how much their wives love them with how well they continue to take care of themselves physically. This can be a bit disheartening.
So, I find it refreshing that a man, Peter, to be exact, wants women to know the balance between outside appearances and inner beauty. Remember God, the Holy Spirit is directing his writing, so it’s really God trying to tell us something… The example God, via Peter, picks of a beautiful woman is Sarah, the wife of Abraham. We know Sarah was physically beautiful. So much so that when a famine hit the land where Abraham and Sarah lived and had to trek down to Egypt for a time, Abraham convinced his bride (then in her 60’s!) that she needed to lie about their relationship and tell folks she was his sister. He was afraid Pharaoh would kill him in order to take Sarah as his wife. Really??! Abraham nearly escaped by the skin of his teeth (taking Sarah with him) when Pharaoh discovered the truth. But, Abraham hadn’t learned his lesson. Nope! The story repeated itself nearly 20 years later. Again, God protected Sarah from Abimelech, but barely. No question, Sarah was a good looking woman; but, her beauty was more than skin deep. It surfaced from the depths of her heart.
This is God’s message to you and me. We are definitely to be caretakers of the temple he’s given us – the outer man. He doesn’t tell us not to braid our hair, nor to wear pretty jewelry. A better translation reads – “Don’t let your beauty come merely from the outside…” In other words, be a good steward of your outer appearances; just don’t become a slave to them. Don’t spend so much money, you go into debt. Keep things in perspective (i.e. I find it really hard to spend money on having beautiful nails, when what I’d spend a month could support a child through Compassion). Or, don’t spend so much time on yourself that you don’t have time for things that are of greater importance – developing depth of character, for example.
Peter says the following three things are characteristics of a truly beautiful woman: gentleness (which can also be translated humble), quietness (one who is undisturbed, at peace), and submission (intentional choice to come under the authority of another in obedience).
So…how much time do you spend in front of the mirror as opposed to spending time in the mirror of God’s Word?
How much time do you spend looking for the right clothes to wear instead of taking time to “clothe yourselves with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Col 3:12)?”
How much time do you take with personal hygiene as opposed to being “cleansed with the water of the word?”
I think you get the idea. I have some adjustments to make. You?