Wrapped in Gold
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Thanks to the media, American women's definition of beauty has scaled to impossible heights, mostly achievable through severe diets, hyper exercises, and a scalpel or three. We define beauty by perfection of form and feature, and few of us measure up. Seeking to bridge this gap, last year Americans spent $3.4 billion on cosmetic surgery.
Despite the trends, we don't need more procedures or miracle diets; we need a new understanding of beauty. True beauty should reflect something greater than itself. God intends beauty—both internal and external—to reflect his brilliance and draw us closer to him
God's Temple
In Old Testament times, temple furnishings were wrapped in gold and brass. So when the candles and oil lamps burned, the brilliance within the temple must have made the Israelites wish for sunglasses. The building's glowing, gold tones reflected God's bright, "Shekinah-glory" presence. Surely God designed the temple so lavishly to mirror his beauty. Physical, structural beauty became an icon, a sign pointing to him.
In the same way, our faces, bodies, and outward appearance are icons or signs directing other people's attention beyond our own forms to God. In fact, the apostle Paul tells us our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). All the more reason to pay attention to the skin and bones that house God.
So then, nothing is wrong with looking good—for the right reasons.
We care for our bodies not so others approve, love, marry, or hire us. Instead, we care for our bodies because, as a T-shirt says, "If you don't take care of your body, where will you live?" Somewhere between ignoring and obsessing lies good self-care: exercising regularly, eating well, sleeping enough, dressing attractively but not seductively. Then we can carry the Holy Spirit in healthy, pure bodies. And as we care for our bodies, our external "glory" will point to an even greater glory: God's.
Appropriate body-care also allows us to pay attention to ourselves, confident we're our healthiest, best selves so we can then forget about ourselves and be present to others.
In Psalm 45, the psalmist presents a king and his bride with an ode: "At Your right hand stands the queen in gold … " (v. 9, NASB). She, like the temple furnishings, is wrapped in gold.
But surely her husband's feelings reflect more than just appreciation for attire. The psalmist continues in verse 11: "The king is wild for you" (The Message). "Enthralled," reads the NIV.
That kind of love is enough to make someone feel beautiful.
A woman is beautiful not because of who she is (her looks or roles), but because of Whose she is. As we learn to live in the midst of God's "wild about us" love, we're transformed. We become fully alive and impossibly beautiful.
Related Topics:
Acceptance, Beauty
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Average User Rating:
Rose
Awesome article. I'm teaching at my Women's Ministry event about God's Extravagant Love and this article was sent by God to me thru you, what an awesome revelation! Thanks.
Karen Rabbitt
Jane, such beautiful truth. Especially the last illustration--that the glow of the Holy Spirit in/on/through us reflects his glory. Saturday, at a street fest, I watched a couple, who must be fifty-year dance partners, spring up to swing (and sing) to "I'll Fly Away." The beauty of their movements brought tears to my eyes. What a witness of glory they were in that community setting.
Carina
Thank you for such a beautiful and inspiring article!
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