Written by: Jaymi Firestone
Society has taught us to worry about the outward things. Our clothes, our hair, the things we have, the cars we drive, the houses we live in all become extremely important to us, because we want, and often feel the need, to impress others around us. But in those moments, we are missing the whole point.
When we die, none of those things go with us, nor do they matter. Yet we place such a huge emphasis on them.
Sometimes we all need to be reminded that who we are is far more important than the outward things we place our emphasis on.
So answer this honestly to yourself, if the world were blind, who would you impress?
If you’re being totally honest, the answer probably isn’t as good as you’d hope or want to admit. I know mine isn’t.
If the world were blind, your “things” and appearance wouldn’t matter at all. Your heart, your nature, your being, is the only part of you that would. Blindness emphasizes reality, because the things that are seen no longer exist.
Have you ever noticed that when someone is truly a beautiful person you can see it outwardly?
They radiate kindness, compassion, and a loving nature. They’re the kind of people that make you feel good by a genuine smile or a kind word. It has nothing to do with their appearance.
Inner beauty shows in the way people treat others. They are kind, generous, and loving. They encourage others. They are giving of their time and talents in a way that helps other people. They have integrity. They are optimistic and they see the good around them. They are grateful. They are happy. They are always wearing a smile. They are unaware of their looks and the looks of others…
And despite their age, or their size, or outfit, or the number of wrinkles they have, they are beautiful 100% of the time.
That is the type of person that would impress a world of blindness. That’s the kind of person we should want to be, because that’s the kind of person Jesus was.
I don’t believe Jesus was a “good looking” man according to worldly standards. Jesus was love though, and that’s far more attractive than anything about someone’s appearance.
You are not the size of your body, the color of your eyes, the shape of your teeth, the clothes you wear, or how tall you are. Those are characteristics you may possess, but they aren’t who you are.
You are the content of your character.
You are the ambitions that drive you. You are the goals that you set. You are the things that you laugh at and the words that you say. You are the thoughts you think and the things you wonder. You are beautiful for the spark of life within you that compels you to make your life a full and meaningful one.
You are beautiful not for the shape of the vessel, but for the volume of the soul it carries.
“Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.”
1 Peter 3:3-4 NLT
One day, nothing will matter but the person you were and the love you showed others.
When we leave this earth, the way we looked and the things we had won’t matter. God isn’t going to judge us on the shape of our bodies, but in the lives we touched and the way we showed Him to others. He made us for that purpose, and He made us to be beautiful in our own unique way, that has nothing to do with what we look like.
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Ephesians 2:10 NLT
So I encourage you to strive to be beautiful every day, but in the way that God intended. Not in the way the world expects, because when we are beautiful in God’s eyes, everything about us becomes beautiful.
