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Pretty Isn’t Easy.

I was mowing the grass this morning and realized what a pain it is to mow around trees, bushes, garden beds, and other decorative yard features. At the same time, I had three kids chalking on the driveway putting their time and effort into art that will be washed away by this afternoon’s rain. Then I thought about the makeup people wear, the clothes, and other outward beautification activities. I then though inward to the spirit. The work, time, and effort to be beautiful on the inside.

All of these things are not easy. They take a lot of work to maintain. They make us feel better. They improve the value of our houses. They turn our houses into homes. They help us showcase our creativity and reflect outwardly what we are inside. But being pretty is hard. It takes work. Sometimes when I am mowing, I just want to cut down all the trees, tear down the treehouse, rip out the garden beds, to have a simple square to mow. Other times, I just want to wear a uniform that is the same as everyone so I don’t have to think about it.

When I think of those drastic measures, while it may make maintenance easy, the beauty is lost. The beauty that we all are blessed with by God.

“You are altogether beautiful, my darling;
there is no flaw in you.” – Song of Solomon 4:7 (Song of Songs)

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” – Colossians 4:2-3

“I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.” – Philemon 6:1

The Lord has made us in his image. We are beautiful in his eyes, but alas we sin. We become one of this through the water and the blood, yet we sin. We are forgiven by Christ, but we sin. Just being baptized isn’t redemption. Believing and practicing his faith and his words is salvation. He wants us to work on our inner beauty. Letting the beauty of the Lord shine through us. The Lord wants us not to focus on our outer beauty but our inner self (1 Peter 3:3-4). That doesn’t mean that we can’t do things to feel pretty. It doesn’t mean that we can’t decorate our houses, our cars, our clothes. We aren’t to be vain, but we can have beautiful things.

All of these things should be second to the beauty on the inside. We need to work every day to improve ourselves. Pretty isn’t easy, it takes work. How are you beautifying your self?

And don’t worry, I’m not going to tear up the landscape in my yard to make mowing easier, but I need to put in the work, to keep the beauty both inside and out.

Are you willing to work on your faith daily? Are you able to show your inner beauty through the light of Christ?

I am willing and able (with the help of God).