This week’s devotions are based on “The Key” Week 3: “Ground Your family in grace!” (WATCH HERE)
Be women of grace!
Proverbs 31:30 “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
1 Timothy 2:9-10 “I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10 but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.”
These two Bible passages were written about 1000 years apart and communicate a similar theme. After another 2000 years, is the truth still the same?
One doesn’t have to look far in our 21st century America to see the promotion of beauty and sexualization of women as a primary factor in determining their value, worth and significance. Perhaps some have already woken up this morning and looked in the mirror and thought to themselves, “I’m ugly.” “I’m fat.” “I’m….”
Whether the era of Solomon, the era of Paul, or the era of today, the pressure on women is to look beautiful, be beautiful, and exhibit beauty. But like with all good things, the value on external beauty can lead to internal doubts, insecurities, and negativity. It can also lead to a superficial show of value, worth, and significance to those around.
Solomon and Paul are not saying that personal care is not important, however, they are redirecting one’s heart to consider what makes up true beauty.
Solomon lists in Proverbs 31 (see Monday’s devotion), a laundry list a “wife of noble character” does for her family and in the community, but his conclusion of what makes a woman truly beautiful is this: She fears the Lord. A woman of beauty is one in whom the Lord has placed his Spirit which leads that woman to seek to serve and honor the Lord each and every day. A woman who has a fear for the Lord realizes that who she is, her gifts and abilities, are given by God to be used to his glory and the blessing of people around. A woman who has fear for the Lord receives God’s grace as a gift to cover any sin, imperfections, and failures. A woman who fears the Lord finds her value, worth, and significance primarily in the reality that she is a loved, redeemed, gifted, child of God. A woman who fears the Lord has had the Lord mold her heart to reflect his heart of love, care and compassion to all around. A woman who fears the Lord plays to an audience of One, the Lord, even as she serves her family, her community and coworkers.
A woman who fears the Lord shows her beauty in the works of faith that come from that heart. Paul is encouraging Timothy to encourage this to the Ephesian women. Beauty comes from a life adorned with works of faith that honor the Lord and bless others, not from make-up, jewelry, or fine clothes. Beauty springs from a humble heart that is more interested in the approval of the Lord than the approval of the people around. Beauty shows itself in a willingness to simply be a servant of God who desires to bless the people around.
So be a woman of grace, filled with the fear of the Lord to live each day for the Lord!
Apply: What changes when your focus is on the beauty the Lord creates instead of the beauty the world demands?
Prayer: Lord, equip all your women to be women of grace. AMEN.