Beauty: Is it really only skin deep?

(Song of Solomon 4:7)

God spoke to me through these four simple words...

* YOU ARE ALTOGETHER BEAUTIFUL *

You see, it got me thinking - what is it that makes someone beautiful?

Is it the way they wear their hair?

Is it their perfect complexion?

Is it their stylish clothes?

Is it their immaculate makeup?

Is it their bronzed skin?

Is it their perfect teeth?

Is it the way they can captivate a room full of people?

What exactly is it that makes someone BEAUTIFUL?

Now,  while all of these qualities are great and I mean, I wish that I was all of the above, I think that it can be so easy to focus on the exterior beauty and we can forget that true beauty radiates from within.

I never would have been an overly confident person and I have always been shy, so when I lost my left eye when I was 13 my confidence took a really big knock. I refused to look at myself properly in the mirror. I would focus on other things when I looked and I became obsessed with my hair. I would say I have probably had it dyed every colour possible! I was so self conscious and I would say that I still am - especially when it comes to meeting new people - it actually gives me anxiety! 

It has now been 17 years since that happened and it has been 17 long years of really beating myself up about how I look, wishing too much that I was more like other people. I rarely take selfies and when I do I just take one look and cringe. I really am that self conscious! It really is true that you can learn so much from your children. You see, when Freddie looks at me, he doesn't see those imperfections, he doesn't see the things that I hate...he just sees ME and he loves ME.

Isn't that the same as our Heavenly Father? Doesn't the Bible teach us that "Man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart"? What should our main focus then be? On our outward beauty? Or on true beauty that should radiate from within?

Now don't get me wrong, I don't even think that I am that beautiful of a person on the inside, in fact, I would say I spend 90% of the time really not even liking myself that much!

Now please, I'm not writing this because I feel sorry for myself, or because I want people to tell me that I am something that I know I am not. The point of this post is because writing this all down is a way to help me focus on areas of my life where I could be more 'beautiful'. 

I want God to look at me and say "Grace, you are beautiful in EVERY way" 

I want my words to be beautiful.

I want my attitude to be beautiful.

I want my actions to be beautiful.

Do I speak truth? Do I encourage? Am I kind? Am I gentle in spirit? Am I positive? Am I loving? Am I modest? Am I humble? Am I kind? Do I go out of my way for others? Do I put others first? 

Wow! The list is endless! 

So back to the question in the title of this post...Beauty, is it really only skin deep?

Don't get me wrong, I love a good pampering and to feel good about myself, 

but I don't  think that beauty is really only skin deep - I think that as women (and men) of God,  we should be striving to be attractive from the inside out! There is absolutely nothing wrong with looking after ourselves and striving for outer beauty. What I am saying is that shouldn't be our focus! 

I love this verse from 1 Peter 3 and with this I finish my rambling...

... the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

(1 Peter 3:4)