Flourishing in Our Identity: You are Beautiful!
By Colonel Genevera Vincent
Have you ever met someone, and your first thought was, “wow, she is beautiful!” and then she opened her mouth and suddenly her beauty fades as her words give way to negativity, gossip and foul language. Flourishing in our identity in Christ is having a healthy understanding of beauty. We have all heard it said, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” There’s a tremendous truth in that statement. We can all look at the same thing but have very different ideas and opinions on its beauty status. What I consider beautiful might be simply mundane and boring to another. So, suffice it to say, beauty goes much deeper than a nice hairdo, nice clothes and make-up. While it is okay to ensure that our appearance is appealing…actually, it is strongly encouraged…it is of paramount importance that we tend to the inner beauty of our lives, for that is what makes us truly attractive.
The Bible teaches us that a quiet and gentle spirit is beautiful. What makes us beautiful is what we possess on the inside, strength, dignity and character.
Just this past summer, I participated in a funeral service for my cousin’s wife. She was fifty years old and died very suddenly from a heart attack. We were all shocked and deeply saddened by Lisa’s passing. As we gathered for her service, everyone had the same thing to say about Lisa and it was this: “Lisa was beautiful inside and out.” It truly described who she was. There was no denying physical beauty. Far beyond that, however, was a woman who was kind, compassionate, loving and sincere. She was beautiful, inside and out.
That is what God seeks for his beloved children. The final verses of Proverbs 31 speak of a godly woman. Verses 10-31 speak of a woman of character, a woman of worth, value, goodness, hardworking, compassionate, strength, dignity, wise, blessed. Nowhere in this passage does it speak of physical beauty. Yet, as I read Proverbs 31, I picture a beautiful woman, and she is beautiful indeed. She may have been beautiful to look at, maybe she wasn’t. Her attractiveness was not tied to physical beauty but to her character. After King Lemuel describes the beautiful characteristics of this woman of noble character, he concludes with these verses, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate“ (v. 330-31). In the final analysis, our inner beauty will far outlive our physical beauty.
I would propose that for those reading this blog, our desire is to foster in our lives the qualities that make us truly beautiful. The fruit of the Spirit outlined in Galatians 5:22 is what we should be aiming for, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Paul goes on to say, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit“(v. 24-25).
Have you ever reflected on what you want your legacy to be? What do you want your children, family members and your friends to say about you when you are gone? We are not concerned that physical beauty even makes the list. We want to be remembered for our character. We want to be known and remembered as people who loved deeply, who cared, who made a difference for good in this world.
As a woman of God, flourishing in our identity in Him, remember, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! May God always help us cultivate the beautiful character qualities that make it so!
