What If I Am Not Beautiful….or Handsome?
I am reading a Christian book….and I don’t know about you but I feel guilty when I don’t agree with someone (the opinions in their book), however, there are times we just don’t! Because I write, I know the ‘blood, sweat and tears’ it takes to get one written, edited (and that never ends) and published. But, I sure disagree with this author!
This book is on women and the author is stressing ‘beauty’. She writes well about many things however, she says the cry of a girl or woman’s heart is, “Am I attractive? Am I beautiful?” From the time we are little girls through out woman-hood, that we women need to hear that from our fathers, husbands, etc. And I assume little boys need to know they are strong and handsome.
Well, if we grow up in America we might think that is true. We have the cute, thin little Barbie Doll, and the handsome Ken. Even in the church we have been pressed into stereo-type attire and admire the thin, the cute, and the pretty. While perfectly wonderful women and girls are ignored and left to feel rejected. How many men and boys are rejected because of some physical problem?
We are programed from cartoons to full length movies that to be beautiful is the prize. TV Anchor women and men lose their jobs when their beauty ‘wains’. Not so much any more…..some of the older people are still popular. How many of them have had face lifts, tummy tucks and what ever? Again, in the church as well. Well-known speakers have face lifts because they face the public and are on TV. What example does that give to others to enjoy, respect and accept what comes with old age–is it a blessing or a curse? What example do we set when we don’t honor and give special place with a gracious attitude to the ones who aren’t all they want to be?
If beauty was the answer, Marilyn Monroe would have been the happiest person on the planet……Michael Jackson would not have had a personal relationship with a Plastic Surgeon.
Our true heart’s cry is to be accepted, whether man or woman, girl or boy. We join cults, gangs, groups–drink, take drugs–have sex–under peer pressure to be ‘accepted’. Even in church and at work we work our heart out to be accepted.
The good newsis that when we receive Jesus into our heart–by a heart-felt decision of our will–we have just been accepted into the Kingdom of God by our Heavenly Father, Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It is so simple most of us miss it….I did, for years. But like so many simple things it is complex in that we must know and understand this experientially for it to penetrate our brain–to have this acceptance thing all settled, a done deal. So that we feel secure in who we are, not how we look. We just feel beautiful because Jesus loves us!
Raising children we need to reinforce how much we love them because of who they are, not always how they look, until they are old enough to receive Jesus themselves. And, they should know how much they are accepted because we have modeled and taught them.
The book of Galatians in the bible is very big on clearing out ‘bondage’ Paul saw with some of the Christians…..Chapter 3, verse 1, he says, “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you? “ verse 28 tells us (as do many other places in Scripture) “we are all one in Christ Jesus.” Through Him we all have ‘acceptance’. Paul was not referring to beauty as I am, but to bias because of gender, nationality, etc.
Now being worthy is another thing. We can never do enough to be worthy…..but because we are part of Jesus who is worthy, God considers us worthy also. So we can feel…..yes, I said ‘feel’ worthy by just experiencentially knowing we are part of all He is. Our position with God is secure, however, our ‘condition’ on earth depends upon how we think and what actions we take.
Jesus gives us the security we need to then, be the best we can be….because we want to! Look the best ossbile….because we want to–not because it is demanded by society….and enjoy ourselves and others for who they are inside and out without bias to beauty. God has put great beauty in the world. I love trees, but none are alike and they all have some bad spots or some weird shapes (especially after some years)….flowers too. Yet I would not reject them because they are not perfect or match up to some painting or picture as we do each other.
Then when we truly know this, what we do is determined by who we know we are!
I didn’t mean to imply that we don’t all enjoy a heart-felt compliment on how we look….men or women….we all do. But our security cannot depend upon it. The nicest, most sincere, loving people I have known were not beautiful-beautiful, but have had a special glow that comes from ‘character’ and the love of God beaming through.
There are people who are naturally beautiful. I think they really have a hard job not to get caught up in their looks, and lost in working to keep them. My heart cries out for those who are trapped or rejected by society’s norm.
In a song we sang at church today, one line was “All authority and power has been given to Him (Jesus)”. I thought to myself, “And Jesus belongs to me.” What a happy thought! Does Jesus belong to you? Is He yours to have forever? How could we have anything to give us more security than that!
Pressing in and pressing on….