What is Beauty.

What is beauty it is a question we so often ponder. We see articles in magazines about the latest and greatest NEW beauty enhancer. Or the latest trending fashion statement. Beauty is so prone in today's culture to be of outward appearance but rarely focus' on inward appearance. I recently read a book called "Who Calls Me Beautiful" (highly recommend it) and the culture we live in focus' on outward appearance. I mean turn on the TV or see the ads on Facebook jean shorts, flawlessly curly hair and the new latest mineral makeup collection is what makes a Woman "beautiful" in today's society. But I highly believe beauty lies and goes deeper than the outward expression. True beauty has to begin from the inside out. We look at the verse in the Bible not many people may know of 1 Peter 3:3-4 (ESV) Do not let your beauty be external- the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry or the clothing you wear- but let your beauty be the hidden person of the heart with the IMPERISHABLE beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is VERY PRECIOUS. God is the only one who can make us beautiful it has to start with our hearts and our relationship with him, He created us (Psalm 139) and He knows the deepest desires of our hearts but we can't know beauty until we truly start to understand the Creator. Abba Father created us in His image (Gen. 1:27) and we are His original masterpiece. So if we only focus on the "outward beauty" we are truly missing the bigger picture. Because we were created to love and be loved, we were created to bring HIM all the glory. I know I struggle with Self-Image viewing my whole self as God views me. I am an artist and frankly I love to paint and some of my paintings I am very proud of them and show people what I created, often though I think of this case scenario that I am God's creation and I wouldn't dis one of my paintings in front of people so why do I think I can dis God's creation telling Him that He didn't create me good enough, or I am not beautiful enough or I am not skinny enough. I have no right to dis God's creation. I am God's creation He is the Artist He knew what HE was doing when He create me. I am getting to a point in my life where I don't want to have outer beauty but I want people to see the inward beauty the beauty God created with in me. I want my life to be a pure reflection of His light and His grace not of my own accomplishments or my dreams and my desires but to be a reflection of the face of Jesus. I want my beauty to be Jesus' beauty the beauty of forgiveness, the beauty of Hope, the beauty of strength, the beauty of love. The only way you can find true beauty is in the Creator the one who created beauty. I just know at the end of my life I don't want to be remembered by the hair styles or the clothes I wore I want to be remembered that I was clothed in Strength and Dignity I want to be remembered that God had place a crown of beauty instead of ashes on my head. I want to be a reflection of He who is greater than me. I remember in one of my classes last semester a really good quote was "The more you understand the Creator the more you will understand yourself". I want to understand my Creator more and more to have that intimate relationship with Him who formed me in the depths of the earth, who loved me when I was nothing and who's love doesn't or can't ever change for me. I wrote a poem a while back and I hope it speaks to you. Cover up the imperfections Cover up the flaws Tint the stain But never unveil the pain Put on the glamour put on the glitz Dance around with the shade Of new lipstick Enter the ball ready to go Put on your mask and see The blood stained snow Lay down in the dirt Mud stained tears Guilty with your ripped shirt Hear the footsteps of the Son Speaking life and truth But all you want to do is run The rocks drop to the ground It gets silent You were lost but now found Now I see I was created to be Free To be Free to Be Me Love came and died on a Tree A tree so I would be free Free to See to See what you created me to be to see your love for me