People seem to be forever beautiful and young on social media, magazines, television, and movies.
I’m bombarded by aggressive ads that tell me how to keep that youthful look and how to be more beautiful. Ads that tell me I’ll only be enough by getting that tummy tuck and facelift. Ads that tease me to rid myself of those nasty crow’s feet and fine lines with a little Botox. How about a lip filler, teeth whitening, some chin work? The ads insist I tighten all my saggy skin too—skin that gets saggier as I age.
I believe my grandparents were a lot tougher. They accepted their body’s changes, transitioning without the so-called medical miracles that entice us to fight nature’s gift of getting older.
Granny simply aged gracefully, and I loved her more for it. I remember her soft and thinning skin as she wrapped wrinkled arms around me. I felt safe and loved inside those aged arms. Those images still bring me comfort, though she’s been gone for years. She wasn’t afraid of gray as I am.
After retiring, I’ve thought a lot about aging, my worth, and my identity in Christ.
Peter reminds us that what others see in our outward appearance is not really who we are. Who we are on the inside matters to Christ and is what should matter to us. This is what God sees.
To God, we’ll always be enough. Our inner selves and countenance are of great worth to God, and nurturing our relationship with Him is how we can become beautiful people.
If I had a hint of how beautiful I am to God, I would never believe the lies or exhaust myself on the world’s beauty secrets. If we remind ourselves of what the Bible says and continue to pray for inner growth and inner beauty, we will spend less time worrying about what others think and more time growing closer to God.
If today’s cultural influences pressure you, strive to be beautiful on the inside by cultivating your relationship with Christ. You will realize what God sees in you is all that matters.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Lori Carol Maloy is a full-time writer and part-time licensed mental health counselor in private practice in Central Florida. She is an emerging writer with several published pieces and is proud to be the winner of the Writer’s Digest 90th annual memoir/essay contest, winning with her essay, “Passion’s War.” She has previously written under the name LC Helms. She is currently editing her crime/suspense novel. Lori writes to help herself and others find their way home. Connect with Lori on her author website, LoriCarolMaloy.com.