The Imperishable Beauty

Dressing in a way that aligns our hearts to the truth of God’s beauty is something that may open us more to the heart of the Creator, as the tiniest detail in an exquisite oil painting may be included in order to express the mastery of the brush as held by the painter, and can help the viewer understand the significance of the stroke to the painter’s eye.

Our adherence to the reality of beauty as God’s good creation and purposeful design for femininity is not vanity, then, when we posture our hearts correctly. Rather, we begin to speak the language that the stars, the moon and sun, the mountains and seas already consider native, for they tamper not with their Maker’s glory bestowed upon and infused in their being His creation.

The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; - Proverbs 3:19

The beauty that exists in our perceivable reality through visuals, sounds, senses - even our spiritual senses - is a deliberate decision carried forth by a good Creator.

Colossians 1:16-17 tells us that all things were made through Christ and for Christ. Psalm 24:1 teaches the reader that the earth and all things therein belong to the LORD.

A master artist’s touch is but a dim reflection of God’s wisdom in creating the world (1 Corinthians 13:12), and His design for beauty within creation and especially for women is not accidental. We as women are called to steward this precious femininity given to us by God.

This involves stewarding our appearances, but more than the outward things, God cares about our inner orientation.

Verse 25 in Matthew 23 reads of Jesus rebuking the Pharisees who care excessively about outward appearances, when inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. In the following verse, Jesus says to “first clean the inside of the cup and the plate” as a metaphor for the inner person and heart, “that the outside also may be clean.” - cleaning up our inner lives directly correlates to having a more beautiful outside, because when we are led by the Holy Spirit we radiate His light.

This beauty, however, tends to contrast with the beauty that the world loves:

Do not let your adorning be external — the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear — but let your adorning 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. - 1 Peter 3:3-4

In another translation (NKJV), it is written to not let our adorning be merely external. There is wisdom in taking care of our appearances; cultivating and caring for ourselves physically is a form of respect and honor for ourselves, for others, and for God, who gives us our bodies and our beauty to steward for His glory.

On one hand, we can get into a guilt trap of downplaying our beautiful femininity out of shame, fear of man, and misunderstanding of God's heart. He doesn't want us to hide what He has given us, but to present ourselves to Him and to the world in faithfulness and meekness.

On the other hand, we can steward, curate and maintain physical beauty and express our femininity, and have it all be in vain. We cannot foster true outward beauty if it doesn’t reflect the beauty we are asking God to cultivate in us through His Holy Spirit, in sanctification and in crucifying our flesh.

The imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit that Peter wrote of in his first epistle is something that is unnatural for women, due to our sin nature. Even if we naturally have a more gentle and quiet spirit, it is spiritually fruitless if we are not completely surrendered to Christ, and is meaningless until He produces new fruit in you through the Holy Spirit.

So, as we select clothing and adornments that glorify God’s good design of beauty, let us beware lest we forsake the core issues of orienting our hearts and spirits in submission to our loving El Roi who sees us.

For, if we choose to adorn ourselves with beauty merely outwardly, we risk making the same mistake that the Pharisees did, those who cleaned the outside of the cup while leaving the insides tarnished with all matters of sin (Matthew 23:25-26). 

So, would you join me in praying?

Dear Lord, 

Thank You for creating femininity and for creating such beauty in this world and in women. 

I pray that You would open the eyes of my heart to Your good design for femininity, and Your good instructions to be a woman of a gentle and quiet spirit. I pray You would help me discern between the lies of the enemy and desirously seek the truth of Your Word in cultivating true beauty in myself and in the world around me.

Lord, I want Your voice to be so clear and loud in my life that all else fades into the background. I want my heart so aligned with Your truth that the ways of the world seem foreign and unfamiliar to me.

In all things, let Your will be done.

In Jesus’ lovely name I pray,

Amen.

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