Our society is consumed with the pursuit of physical beauty. Award shows now spend at least an hour before the show on the red carpet, asking the attendees what designer they are wearing. The next morning the main topic of discussion on all of the morning shows is “Who looked the best? Who wore it best? Who was the most beautiful?”
Google lets me know that skincare is the largest category in the cosmetics industry, accounting for nearly 35.3% of the global market in 2014. The products in the global skincare segment create a $121 billion industry. Hair care products represent a large segment of the beauty market too, with sales reaching $11.6 billion in the U.S. in 2014.
Contrary to pop culture, the importance of beauty for us as Christians is the “beauty within”. 1 Peter 3:3-4 reads “3 Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; 4 rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight.” A gentle and quiet spirit is where beauty lies in God’s eyes.
What can we do to cultivate that inner beauty? Spending time in prayer, spending time in reading God’s word, spending time in worship – spending time in the disciplines of our faith. You may not be the topic of discussion on tomorrow’s morning show, but in God’s eyes your beauty will shine.
Spend time during Lent cultivating the beauty within.
Judy Oguich