1 Peter 3:3-4, “Your beauty should not come for 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 gently and quiet spirit which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful.”
The other day I came across a photo of my daughter’s first school dance. She looked like a Princess. I believe that part of the fun for her 
was getting dressed up for the event. Like most girls, Peyton has loved playing dress-up since she was a little girl. I have many pictures of her dressed up like a bride, a princess, or a ballerina. Peyton loved playing dress-up so much that one year on her birthday I bought her a board game called “Pretty, Pretty Princess.”
Quickly, it became her favorite game. With each turn, the player had the opportunity to put on an earring, a necklace, or a bracelet according to which card was drawn. I can still recall how cute it was watching her play with her daddy, and how fun it was to see him wearing the plastic jewelry. One time, he actually answered the front door wearing his Pretty, Pretty Princess jewels.
Looking back over the years, I’ve come to realize that Peyton is not alone. No matter how old we get as women, we still long to be as beautiful as a Princess. That desire is a God-given desire. However, since we live in a fallen world, we often use the good things of God in unhealthy ways.
For example, the world tells us to be beautiful we must be a perfect size, have no defects, and a cover-girl face. Anybody measure up? I know I don’t. Most of us probably don’t but secretly we wished we did. How do I know? Just look at the millions of dollars spent every year on cosmetics, lotions, surgeries, and beauty aids. I can’t say that I wouldn’t like a lift and a tuck myself.
Nevertheless, God says that true beauty comes from the inside out as stated in our key verse. “Your beauty should not come from o
utward 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. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hop in God used to make themselves beautiful.”
Simply turning on the T.V. or looking at what women are wearing today is evidence that we’ve allowed the world to shape our views according to beauty instead of our Creator.
The world encourages us to seek a beauty that only last for a brief amount of time. God encourages us to cultivate a beauty that will never fade but only grow more beautiful with time. God’s Word always has a way of bringing me back to truth. It removes the pressures of what the world says, and allows me to be nothing more than who God created me to be…beautiful in His sight.
Question: How much time to do give to your outward appearance as opposed to your inner beauty?
Micha