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A woman whose smile is open and whose expression is glad has a kind of beauty no matter what she wears. –Anne Roiphe
The photo I took above was of a woman that we had encountered on the streets of Mumbai. She stopped us as we walked by and with a smile she delicately tied a bracelet around my friend’s wrist. This woman was beautiful and she was adorned with many pieces of jewelry. However, the most beautiful thing about her was the smile of generosity that she wore on her shimmering face.
Across the globe, women all want to look and feel beautiful. We spend a lot of time, energy, and money worrying about it. According to Mint.com, a finance website, the average woman in America spends about $15,000 total during her lifetime on beauty products. I wonder what would happen if we took this money and spent it elsewhere.
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There is a fine line that we must all try to walk as women when it comes to beauty. I believe in the importance of taking care of oneself. If you look good, then you feel good, and this can ultimately affect the way you treat others. I know that when I am feeling fat or ugly, I wear a frown and I don’t treat others around me as well as I should. How then do we find the balance in focusing on outward versus inward beauty?
God guides us in this. He tells us to focus on our inner self and more importantly, to focus on others. We should not selfishly obsess over our own looks. However, He also says to treat our bodies as temples for He made us and He wants us to take care of what He has graciously given. We should eat well and exercise. We should be grateful for the beauty we find in His creation.
I suspect that almost all women struggle with the balance of beauty throughout their lifetime. This is why I think it is of utmost importance to find Godly friends to keep you in check. Spend time praying for the beauty of a Proverbs 31 woman and not the beauty that is portrayed in magazines.
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. – 1 Peter 3:3-4
How do we balance focusing on outward versus inward #beauty? @MargraetMcSweeney @SWauterlek
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