Beauty.

I am an intern at my church; I work with the high school students. Tonight, we had worship and the message together with the middle school students, and one of the middle school girls came up to me and she said, "Ashley, you are so pretty."

I looked back at this beautiful little 12 year old girl and I said, "Thank you! But, (Her name), my dear, are beautiful as well!"

Without skipping a beat, this petite, gorgeous little bright-blue-eyed, blond-haired girl said to me, "I am not pretty. I am not pretty at all." 

My heart broke.

The worst part of this story is that this is not even close to the first time I have had a girl come up to me and tell me that they don't think they are pretty, or that nothing about themselves holds any beauty. 12 years old, 15 years old, 16 years old, 18 years old, 22 years old, I've heard it all. I even struggle with it at times!  I dealt with and learned a lot tonight working with the high school students, but that moment stuck out to me the most, and I wanted to take this opportunity to look at how our loving Father defines beauty, because His definition is the only one with any value whatsoever:

Psalm 139:14

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

GOD CREATED YOU! If God created you, do you really think He would create something that is not beautiful? He is the author of beauty, and the author of beauty formed you and knit you together in your mother's womb (Psalm 139:13)! His works are wonderful. One of His works was making you, and hello-- you are wonderful! You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

1 Samuel 16:7

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.

The world focuses on what people look like on the outside; God focuses on what people look like on the inside. Why do you listen so much to what the world has to say? Don't you know that the only real opinion that matters is the Fathers?! You can take the girl with the best looks of all the earth, but if her heart is not good, she is not truly beautiful. Beauty is the way you treat others. Beauty is living like Christ. Beauty is Christ. You're truly beautiful when your heart is for the Lord. 

Proverbs 31:3

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Charm can be deceiving. Your looks will fade. What isn't deceiving, and what won't fade is a woman that fears and respects the Lord. God says that deserves praise! He praises and finds joy in girls that love Him, He doesn't care about how charming or how great their clothes and make up are! The Lord praises that. Let's focus on what brings Him joy.

1 Peter 3:3-4  Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, 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.

God would rather have you spend time in a relationship with Him than see you spend countless hours on your outward appearance. A gentle and quiet spirit (Spirit of God) is unfading. It's beauty never fades! This is great worth to God. Not all of the other things that we compare ourselves too. Those don't matter. And guess what-- people are attracted to sweet spirits, much more than they are attracted to good clothes.

Genesis 1:27 -

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them.

You're create in the image of God! God- the author of salvation, creator of the very grass we walk on! Everything beautiful that you have ever laid your eyes on, God created. He created you like Him. Wow. How could you think differently?! 

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God's masterpiece.

God calls you His masterpiece. Out of all creation, YOU are the ultimate masterpiece. I have my breath taken away with creation all the time. Seeing a blanket of snow laid upon every piece of the land in the winter- that is breathtaking. Overlooking the ocean as the sun sets- that is breathtaking. Watching the leaves change in the fall- breathtaking. Yet, those aren't God's masterpieces. We are. We are breathtaking. 

Bottom line: True beauty comes from God. He thinks you are beautiful just the way you are. He created you the way you are for a purpose, and he delights in His creation. Don't believe any other lies, instead let these words abide in your heart and listen to the truth. Seek God. That's what is truly beautiful.