Beauty?

Beauty.

Let's just all admit it. I think we could probably all agree that, if you're a girl...beauty has been on your mind at least once. (And, if we're all being honest...it's been on our minds way more than just once. ...Or is that just me? haha)

Like, what is beauty?
How do you define it?
What does it mean to be beautiful?
What do people think about me?
Would they look at me and say, "Wow, she's beautiful"?

Just about everything around us says that beauty is what you look like on the outside. You're beautiful when you have X amount of boys constantly following you. You're beautiful when you are the prettiest hair and you're skinny enough to "fit in" . You're beautiful when all of your clothes come from Aéropostale and Abercrombie & Fitch.You're beautiful when you wear make-up. You're beautiful when you are the most popular girl in school who everyone loves and wants to be like. You're beautiful when you are dating the quarterback on your school's football team.

You're beautiful when _________.
**Fill that blank in with whatever you want that we might say defines beauty.

[On a side note! I don't have anything against these things! Seriously, I don't care what brand your clothes are, who you date, or whether you wear make-up or not! ...Especially the make-up part. Make-up is great. hahah!]

Here's the cool part, though. I am learning that...

 None of those things are the definition of beautiful .

I have been learning what God says defines beauty.

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your Inner self, the Unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of Great worth in God’s sight ."  (1 Peter 3:3-4)

It is amazing how different God views beauty compared to the world. This verse says that beauty is not what is on the outside...but what in on the inside. Beauty it not how we add things to ourselves to make us look good. Instead, what people should notice about us me is what is on the inside: a gentle and quiet spirit. When people look at me I want them to see God and who He has made me to he through His Son. 

That doesn't mean that looking pretty is a bad thing! It just means that what is important to God (my heart! ♥) should be the what I focus my time on. Because, here's the thing: External beauty does not last. People get old. Their sparkle fades. (I was trying to come up with something really catchy to prove my point, but..yeah. I've got nothin'.) But! there is an unfading beauty that is of great worth in God's sight; and it comes from inside. That unfading beauty is a heart/attitude of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, & self-control.

So, here's the question that's been on my heart for a while now: What do I want to be noticed for?

My mom always tells me, "Pretty is as pretty does."

Pretty on the outside is only pretty if it's pretty on the inside.



Thoughts? Questions?  Leave a comment! I would LOVE to hear what you guys have to say about this!