Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Somebody that You used to Be

     Nothing is sadder to me than when someone says they "used to be pretty". I actually cringe every time I hear it. Used to, before what? Before you turned thirty and decided you were old? Before you gained weight? Before lack of sleep or depression or stress took their toll on you?
     Have I ever mentioned Proverbs 31? I think the description of the wife in this chapter is really powerful. "The heart of her husband trusts her," it says. She "works with willing hands", "rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household". She "dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong", and she "opens her door to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy." "Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue".
     Nowhere in the verses does it say that she's pretty. She isn't described as hot or young or sexy.

Because this isn't the point.

     Verse 30 says that "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."
     So why is it that we have this idea of "used to be pretty"? I think it comes from our own weariness. We're tired of trying to be this and that to fit different images of what we feel like we should be. I've felt it. That feeling of failure when we look at another girl and think that we'll never be that pretty. What we're really saying is "I used to be pretty before I broke my own heart trying too hard".
     Outward appearances are deceiving. If you're feeling this way, chances are you've been pursuing the wrong things. Remember what we are called to pursue: "righteousness, faith, love, and peace" (2 Tim. 2:22). God has created you to be beautiful; He loves you before you try to be anything, and He will bring you exactly where you need to be in life. The only "used to" that we need to describe ourselves is that "I once was blind but now I see".

As always, let me know how I can pray for you. You can reach me via email or Facebook. I hope you all have a truly beautiful day.

~Sheridan

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