I apologize for the delay in this post. Thank you for your grace as I am experiencing an extremely hectic schedule at the moment. All to soon calm down next week ;) I hope.
As we continue our discussion on how we view and evaluate true beauty, we are learning to shift from our conditioned perceptions to seeing things from the Lord's perspective. Let's delve into the rest of the chapter shall we?
We pick up with Colossians 3:1-5
"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry."
According to Mahaney this a natural progression from self-absorption and self-focus to that of Christ. We must focus on the Lord before we are able to change. Change can not come from us but only from the Lord.
I really like the action of looking at Christ after we look at ourselves. "Every time we are tempted to be discouraged by our own disappointing performance, we must look to our Savior whose perfect performance has been credited to us." (p.40) This is something I most certainly would benefit from. I don't know about you but for how much I focus on myself (which is quite a bit if I am being honest) I would spend a WHOLE LOT of time getting to know the Lord.
The section on practical changes (p.40-41) gives us some things to consider when it comes to our personal appearance. We are to consider first the Lord and then our husbands. There is good insight into how to find the balance. "The Bible does not condemn wearing and using these things. It is wearing them for the wrong reasons that God's word forbids," (my emphasis added).
It is important for us to be appreciative of the body that God gave us. We need to respect it and care for it. "Anything less than a heart filled with gratitude and praise to God for our physical appearance is sinful and grieves the Lord." (p.42) That is a tough truth isn't it?
A few more excerpts:
"In the same way , your body is not your own - it belongs to God. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit- you house the Holy Spirit in your body! that should make all the difference in how you treat i. This new understand of our bodies can change not only what we do,but why we do it.
...
We should be self-controlled in what we eat not merely to maintain a certain weight, but because self-control is a fruit of the Spirit." (p.43)
I also like the story of Sarah. I did not know the history of Sarah and I found it very encouraging. I would like to leave you with this quote from the book:
"It is a mystery how the beauty that we cultivate inwardly can be evident outwardly. But Scripture promises us that the more we adorn our inner self, the lovelier we will become." (p.45)
Discussion:
1. What did you think?
2. Do you know any women who are not particularly stunning, but who radiate a beauty that comes from within, making them lovely?
3. What changes can you make to seek the Lord in these matters?
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