Inward Beauty

I’ve been at the beach with my family this week and it has been absolutely wonderful. The beach is one of my favorite vacation spots. I love just sitting near the ocean reading a good book and walking down the beach. People-watching is also entertaining because you see all kinds of people on the beach. I especially love watching kids playing in the water or digging in the sand. Of course most everyone on the beach is in a swimsuit. One thing I have had to remind myself of is to not compare myself to others. I compare myself in many ways, but especially in appearance. As I was walking down the beach yesterday, I was thinking about how much of my focus is on how I look, not necessarily my hair and face because those things aren’t going to change, but on what my body looks like. I know every girl has parts of her body she may not like or wants to change, but many times I focus way too much on that. I realized how vain that is. Why does it matter what my weight is, how flat my stomach is, how toned my legs and arms are, etc? Yes, I want to be healthy and striving for a healthy body is good, but it is not good when so many of my thoughts are consumed by what my body looks like. My value and worth are not based upon my appearance but on who I am in Christ. Beauty does not last and to chase after it is vanity because it is meaningless. If I focused on inward beauty, which is “the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,” as much as I do on external beauty, which is “fleeting and deceptive,” how much more of a woman after God’s own heart (which is my heart’s desire) would I be? Instead of focusing on things about my body I wish were different or how I can be thinner or leaner, I should focus on my character and how I can be more like Christ. Obsessing over my appearance will not get me anywhere, and even if my appearance did change I know I would not be satisfied because satisfaction and contentment is not found in the things of this world but in a relationship with Christ.