Am I Beautiful?

beau·ty (byū'tē) n., pl. -ties.
1. The quality that gives pleasure to the mind or senses and is associated with such properties as harmony of form or color, excellence of artistry, truthfulness, and originality.

2. One that is beautiful, especially a beautiful woman.


As I mentioned in my last post, I am currently reading Captivating by John and Stasi Elderedge. A topic the authors touch on in the beginning of Chapter 3 is beauty and how the longing to feel beautiful or 'captivating' is something every woman struggles to achieve, whether through tangible means, like make-up, or a new hair color, or through discipline and self-improvement.

As I was reading I began to wonder, do I know any woman who could answer with complete confidence, "Yes, I am beautiful!" Not in a conceited manner, but with the stability of really knowing that she is beautiful spiritually. I think the answer is no, I do not know a woman who would say a 100% yes. If I am wrong, I would love to hear from you and be your friend!

Beauty has always been a battle for me. Until now I defined myself on what I looked like physically. Was my haircut stylish, was my clothing trendy, did my butt, thighs, etc look fat? And oh my word, the make-up consumption. I could open my own cosmetic counter at the store.

But lately, I've finally begun to look inward for my beauty and examine what I looked like in my heart. Its not beautiful. Not even pretty. I personally define beauty as pure, natural, unblemished. I certainly am not any of those things. Does that mean, I'll never be beautiful? I hope not.

The book points to the story of Eve in the bible. Eve was created in Gods own image (as we all are) and was considered beautiful not because she had physical attributes but because she was spiritually walking with God. Only when she ate the apple did she become aware of her flaws (nakedness). Therefore technically when we walk with God we should all feel beautiful. But I don't. And I think that is the ultimate sin of Eve. It was part of God's plan for us to believe we are beautiful. The bible loves women. Just read Song of Songs. Saucy! Eve took that away from woman. Now instead of cherishing what we were truly created for, we will always have a longing to be truly, naturally beautiful.

(When did we as women begin to define beauty as something commercial or cosmetically attainable? I applaud Dove for there real beauty campaign, but again it begins by addressing physical beauty. )

I guess my point is, that I want to challenge myself (and you) to change the way I define beauty. I want my answer to be "Yes I feel beautiful", but mean it from the heart not the face (or because my skinny jeans fit that day). I want to encourage every woman I meet to feel beautiful, and own that feeling. I want to walk with confidence and smile because my heart feels beautiful.

One last thought on the story of Eve. God was done with creation when he created Eve. He was walking with Adam in the garden when He noticed something was missing from His masterpiece. One final touch, or piece de resistance, was needed. And that was woman. Woman was the last beautiful detail needed to complete God's perfect plan for creation. That makes me feel good. Without the beauty of woman, God's work was incomplete! :)