Beautiful

Beauty is a touchy subject.  As women we are constantly bombarded with images of what "beauty" looks like.  Little girls play with Barbies.  They grow up to believe that's how a woman should look.  Movies, music, magazines...all filled with unrealistic expectations.  In today's society it's hard to remember what beauty truly is.

1 Peter 3:3-4:
³  Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— ⁴ but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

Yes, there have been attempts to regain a somewhat "normal" view of the female body: magazines are now agreeing to not retouch photos and only use "healthy" looking models.  But we still have a long way to go.

There have been a few songs over the years sung about a woman's daily struggle to be and feel beautiful.

TLC's "Unpretty" hit the charts in 1999 and spoke about a woman's struggle with self-image.

Christiana Aguilera also sang about low self esteem and insecurities in 2002's "Beautiful"

There are many others, but my favorite is MercyMe's 2010 hit "Beautiful" from The Generous Mr. Lovewell album.

A reminder that our worth and value is found in Christ alone, we are made in His image, and He does make Everything Glorious.

Psalm 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Jumping through hoops and achieving what society considers ultimate beauty is not what we were made for.  Here is a link to an interview with MercyMe frontman Bart Millard explaining the meaning behind this song: