Incorruptable Beauty #1

A few years back, I was invited to speak at our church's "Mom's Group."  The theme for that year was about lasting beauty.  One morning, while getting ready for work, putting my make-up on and fixing my hair, the topic of my talk became clear.  I'll speak on Incorruptable Beauty, from 1 Peter 3.  On that morning, God spoke to me about a prayer, using the metaphor of putting on make-up and fixing my hair.  It is a way for me to consciously place my mind on the truth, and not believe the lie.  Each morning as I get ready for the day, I can take these steps, I can pray these prayers to God, so that I am a woman of Incorruptable Beauty, from the INSIDE out!!
As I have written in previous posts, I am getting older......yes, the wrinkles have come, and my hair is turning gray, and my body is certainly not like it used to be.  Recently, during my quiet time one morning, I was complaining to God about it all.....He reminded of the talk that I gave on Incorruptable Beauty.  God was telling me once again, that what was important to Him was a woman who feared Him, and who loved Him with her whole heart. The Bible holds many verses on the passing "glory" of man......woman.  We are here today, and gone tomorrow......our lives are likened to a flower, a blade of grass, that withers away.......smoke that dissipates into the air.
Maybe some of you are in the same place as I am, struggling to understand all of the physical and emotional changes that come in our 50s.  Maybe some of you are in the "prime" of your life, enjoying a strong and beautiful body.  Or maybe you have a physical ailment, that keeps you from realizing your body's full potential.......a disfigurement of your face, that makes you feel not so pretty.  Whatever the case, I hope that what follows will help, and bring comfort, and a renewed sense of your worth, in the eyes of our Lord.
I hope that you will be patient with me, for I will not be able to complete this in one post. So, please keep checking back for more.
As women we are taught from our youth that physical beauty is something of great value, far greater than even our intelligence or personality, even our society places great emphasis on the human body.  But God, does not.
In 1 Samuel 16:7, when the Lord gave instruction to the prophet Samuel in regards to anointing of the next King of Israel, the Lord spoke very clearly on this subject. "But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him (speaking of David's older brother, Eliab).  For the Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
Therefore, I must choose to think purely and in a godly fashion, about my appearance, and about my physical body.  I choose to not believe the lie, the lie that tells me that my face and form must be beautiful to be of any worth, of any value.
The Incorruptable Beauty Prayer.
The first thing that I do, before I put on any make-up, is to cleanse my face.  As a woman we know that dirty skin, full of bacteria and dead skin cells, causes clogged pores and then pimples.
As I begin my day, I must ask the Lord to clean my heart, and to clean my mind of sinful thoughts and actions, and of dead works. For if my heart is clogged with sin, dead works, and self, God can not use me.  The Bible teaches us that we can do nothing without Jesus, and Jesus also taught us that every issue of life comes from the heart.

Luke 6:43–45 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."

 It is the work of the Holy Spirit in my day to day life, that brings about any lasting work or victory over sin, self, and dead works.
But, if my heart has become clogged, and full of sin and self, then my day will be full of sinful actions and thoughts, not full of the beautiful work of God.  Therefore, a clean and pure heart makes for a day that is joy-filled (not perfect), because we are in pure fellowship with Jesus.  It makes for a day that brings about actions that are pleasing to God, actions that will be blessings for me and for others.