It's what's on the inside....

Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.

1 Peter 3: 3-4

     When does it start? At what age do we begin to be consumed with our outward appearance?   Do you remember the day you became aware of what people thought of you?

      I attended a concert this past Friday for Keep Louisville Symphonic Orchestra at my church.  It was a family event, which meant there were kids everywhere.  It wasn't your typical orchestra concert at the Kentucky Center, but if I could've captured one moment in a picture it would've been this.

      On opposite sides of the auditorium there were two little girls, probably no older than 3 or 4.  The orchestra began their first piece and without a care in the world these girls begin to dance in the aisle. They would run to the wall a few feet away and then turn and leap and twirl.  Their arms were open wide and they were swept away in the music, with no thought of who might be looking at them.

     

     

Several other folks noticed them too.  They'd point and chuckle to themselves.  I'm sure, like me, they loved the sweet innocence of these girls. I also wondered if these adults were trying to remember the last time they were that uninhibited by their surroundings.  I know I was.

As we get older we get so focused on what others think of us and how we look.  I'm so guilty of this.  As a huge fan of accesories- jewelry, scarves, shoes, etc. I love nothing more than when someone affirms that my accesory choices are good ones. 

I read an article recently where the writer came to the conclusion that we're quick to compliment little girl's outfits or how cute they are- all things about their outward appearance and this trains them to look for that approval.  She decided that from now on she was going to make a pointed effort not to compliment the clothes or the looks first, but to have conversations with them where she could comliment how smart they were or how selfless.

 

This was an eye opener for me.  Not to say that we shouldn't still tell girls they're pretty, but just like the verse I started with- God values the beauty within us and finds it so much more precious than our accesories. 

So I'll leave you today with these questions:

When was the last time you truly focused on the

qualities that make up your character?

Which inner quality that you possess do you value the most?

And when was the last time you danced or twirled just for yourself?