“For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
“Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.” Proverbs 31:30
“There are men who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” Romans 1:25
Our weekly Christian devotional
I have a confession to make: I have a girl crush on Kim Kardashian. Oy boy…I can almost here the collective gasps at the very thought of that! But, I suppose that reaction is to be expected; especially since I am a Christian writer for a Christian website.
To clarify any low-level twisting of the words ‘girl-crush’; allow me to explain. I’m your typical, average city-dwelling American female. Although I don’t feel right about giving trashy reality shows a moment of my day, I happen to glean a lot of my fashion, beauty and fitness inspiration from magazines. I’ve always told myself that this is simply the result of my stellar ‘urban survival’ instincts. But, I’m pretty sure that the simple reality is—I’m just drawn to beautiful things! Ever since I could grab my mother’s sparkling cross dangling from her décolleté’, I’ve suffered from this chronic condition…
In the early nineties, when Cindy Crawford was touting her new workout video, I was the pre-teen saving up my babysitting money just to purchase it. And when Vogue did a story on Adrianna Lima’s skin care secrets, I picked up extra waitressing shifts just to get my hands on some pricey ‘La Mer night cream that was only available at Neiman Marcus.
Sure, those ‘girl crushes’ rotated as the decades rolled on. But the way my simple brain operates remains: Beauty is one of my biggest inspirations. So, here I stand a woman who truly loves God, freely admitting that I would love to have Kim Kardashian’s luscious lashes, Gwyneth Paltrow’s long legs and Giselle’s well…everything!
I know what you’re thinking: Isn’t this struggle a bit ‘unspiritual’ for a Christian? Hey, I’m not just a Christian; I’m a Christian woman. And I also happen to reside in a country that values the ever fading outside more than the incorruptible beauty on the inside.
Since giving my heart to God, my heart truly yearns to discover the deeper beauty that the Bible speaks of—the one doesn’t fade with the reality of time (and gravity!)
In the past, I have been relentless in pursuing the perfect mascara. Why shouldn’t I be this way about something that is so much better? Something that God promises will be eternal? I quickly came to the realization that one couldn’t expect to achieve this kind of beauty without actually taking the time to seek the Lord for it…
Coming to God about this subject was actually a very frightful experience for me. I’m not ignorant of the fact that if more Christians would give God permission, there would be plenty of changes in the way we live. And, I’ve never been one who takes prayer (or promises) to God lightly…
Was I really ready to let God into every area of my life—even the parts I was personally ‘okay’ with? Fear and anxiety filled my heart. “Would God shove me into a sloppy turtleneck sweater, mauve clam diggers and Crock sandals? (All in the name of Jesus of course!)”
Bowing my head in surrender, I asked the Lord to help me find His way through these struggles. After spilling my heart out to Him, I stopped to listen, waiting for Him speak in that still, small voice of His.
His presence gently descended and I could feel the heaviness of my struggle lift. A new perspective illuminated my thoughts: God Himself is the author of beauty. Loving and appreciating this isn’t necessarily an evil in and of itself. But, being consumed with vanity to the point of ignoring the development of my interior was a grave mistake. He began to show me that when I fixated my heart and affections on anything other than Him, it showed my heart was worshiping another god.
I let this cold, hard truth sit with me for a second. The personal ‘gods’ I held in such high esteem throughout the years flashed like a movie through my mind. Just like everything in life, the outer beauty of these iconic women is fading… and will continue to do so…
My heart ached. How many years have I wasted my worship on mere human beings? There is only one God and nobody else even comes close. Sorry, Cindy Crawford. That’s just the truth.
“Dear Heavenly Father,
My heart is sinking. The discovery of how superficial I am has hit me to the core. I could make some convenient excuses and blame my environment, but the truth is: Whatever I set my heart upon; that is the source of my worship.
Oh, Lord please forgive me. I’m vain to the core! What can you do with a heart that takes so long to see the depths of it’s own wickedness? My heart is breaking for hurting you; for breaking your heart.
All the years I’ve wasted—giving my love and affection to things and people it was never intended for.
I want to brush away the tears that I have caused you. Deep in my heart I know the way to do this is by allowing you to change me.
Oh, Lord give me a heart that only worships you! Show me when I start to go back to my old way of thinking. Give me the humility to admit my mistakes and come back to worshiping you right away.
You are a good God. Your patience and mercy humble me to the core. This only makes me want to worship you all the more. In Jesus’ name, to be as beautiful to you as you are to me, Lord. That is my prayer. Amen.”
Thank you for reading our weekly Christian devotional on verses: 1 Samuel 16:7,Proverbs 31:30 and Romans 1:25
Please check back and see what we have for you next week!
Author: Julia Shalom Jordan