Lasting Beauty

A while ago, I wrote a post about beauty. In it, I said that we should care about our appearance without sliding into vanity and I still believe that. As Christian ladies, we should seek a healthy balance between not caring how we look and caring too much.

A week ago, though, a sister helped me realize I’d forgotten about something more important than decent clothing and hair. As we talked over dinner, it grew more and more obvious: even though she looked externally beautiful, her appearance was not the spring of her beauty. 

This is a sister I’ve come to greatly admire in the short while I’ve known her. She spends time evangelizing every week, is there for her husband as he steps into a new pastoral role, works on learning Spanish to better serve the women in her church, and volunteers as a church secretary daily. Her beauty came from inside, manifested in the things she does.

Maybe it’s the cliches that now surround it or the sheer corniness of how it sounds, but I’ve neglected to write about this inner beauty. I have no trouble remembering 1 Timothy 2:9. But the next verse, the one that says what our adornment should be, I have no trouble forgetting.

God, through Paul in his letter to Timothy, tells us that as godly women we should dress with modesty, showing self-control. This is, of course, important and good to remember, but the instructions don’t end there.

In 1 Timothy 2:10, we’re further instructed on how to adorn ourselves. Instead of using expensive, immodest, gaudy clothing we’re to rely on good works to bring out our beauty. And really, what’s truly more beautiful? The latest low-cut embellished Armani tank top or a heart after God’s own expressed outwardly through works?

Our salvation is not attained by works, but works should adorn all believers. Our character, work ethic, compassion, and charity should shine brightly as a testament to the salvation God granted us.

I sometimes tend to focus on my appearance and neglect the true source of beauty: a heart changed by the God who died on a cross so I could be saved and made new. That’s when I have to let God remind me that external beauty is fleeting but the inner beauty that he gives believers will last all eternity.