Is It Time for a Makeover?
(Catherine M. Farnes)
You know the routine.
You're standing in front of a mirror with a big event — maybe your piano recital, first date or major family gathering — looming in the near future. As you stare, all you notice is that your appearance lacks something.
Your hair is too long, too short, too curly, not wavy enough, dull, unstylish, the wrong color or fried. Your eyes look lifeless, probably because you lost sleep from worrying about what you're going to wear today. And then of course there are those minor imperfections of your complexion.
Your solution . . . a makeover. Only with a change to your appearance will you arrive at your event feeling radiant, beautiful and accepted.
Sound Familiar?
Girls are seldom satisfied with the way they look, and the world knows it. People build entire careers out of a woman's desire for improvement.
But what happens when the mirror you're looking at reflects your heart? What about the character imperfections — things that are so woven into your personality that you can't even identify them individually? Does the beauty profile of your life lack something? Peace, maybe? Joy? Purpose? Contentment?
Then it's time for a real makeover. An internal makeover.
But where do you go for that?
God has made only one place in the universe for us to truly shed our sins — and that's with His blood. If you're looking for a life makeover that doesn't have to be done again and again, this is the first step. Repent of your sins and ask Christ to forgive you. A good, clean foundation in Christ is everything (Colossians 1:19-23).
Once you've visited the Cross of Christ and are "without blemish and free from accusation," it's time to begin applying, one at a time, the layers and shades of your new self — with God teaching you the steps. Check out Romans 12:1-2.
Just as we invest in the proper tools to maintain our natural beauty — the right brush, the most complimentary makeup, the clothes that look best on us, whitening toothpaste, exercise equipment, etc. — we must invest in the tools that'll enable us to continually "put off" the unwanted aspects of our character and "put on" Christlikeness (Colossians 3:5-17).
• Start with a Bible, and make time to read and study it.
• Attend a church where you'll grow closer to God.
• Pray. If you want to leave a hair salon with a workable, current and attractive hairstyle, you communicate with the stylist, right? In the same way, you've gotta communicate with God if you want to truly walk out your faith in a way that is workable, attractive and current.
• Adhere to guidelines. Have you ever chosen not to eat something because it would make you break out or give you bad breath? That's called discipline, and we need it in our pursuit of inner beauty, too. Sin is attractive and desirable, just like a candy bar or double scoop of ice cream. It's waiting to be sampled and tasted.
When you want to indulge in sin — taking in that inappropriate movie, song, book, Web site or computer game; compromising a lifestyle choice; holding on to anger; telling a lie that'd get you out of trouble; being bitter or saying a cutting remark — think about what it'll do to your life, just as you think about what that onion will do to your breath.
In fact, think about it more. Choose not to indulge in sin. It may not put a blemish on your face, but it puts one on your heart. Yes, Christ will forgive you when you repent, but have you ever noticed how some blemishes leave scars?
Real Change
Beauty takes work. Effort. Maintenance. Outward beauty is nice, but it's also fleeting. Inward beauty, however, can always increase and become more natural — more of who you really are in Christ, instead of something applied, pulled back, worked off or held in.
So, is it time for a makeover? If you're like me and almost everyone else I know, there's always room for some polish, a little more color or a refining touch or two to the personality. Go for it! Do whatever it takes to be like Jesus.
Just as it's worth it to spend some time on your outward appearance, it'll be worth seeing and living the results of God's beauty inside you!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article ppeared in Brio magazine. Copyright © 2003 Catherine M. Farnes. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Photo illustration by Ron Nickel.
You know the routine.
You're standing in front of a mirror with a big event — maybe your piano recital, first date or major family gathering — looming in the near future. As you stare, all you notice is that your appearance lacks something.
Your hair is too long, too short, too curly, not wavy enough, dull, unstylish, the wrong color or fried. Your eyes look lifeless, probably because you lost sleep from worrying about what you're going to wear today. And then of course there are those minor imperfections of your complexion.
Your solution . . . a makeover. Only with a change to your appearance will you arrive at your event feeling radiant, beautiful and accepted.
Sound Familiar?
Girls are seldom satisfied with the way they look, and the world knows it. People build entire careers out of a woman's desire for improvement.
But what happens when the mirror you're looking at reflects your heart? What about the character imperfections — things that are so woven into your personality that you can't even identify them individually? Does the beauty profile of your life lack something? Peace, maybe? Joy? Purpose? Contentment?
Then it's time for a real makeover. An internal makeover.
But where do you go for that?
God has made only one place in the universe for us to truly shed our sins — and that's with His blood. If you're looking for a life makeover that doesn't have to be done again and again, this is the first step. Repent of your sins and ask Christ to forgive you. A good, clean foundation in Christ is everything (Colossians 1:19-23).
Once you've visited the Cross of Christ and are "without blemish and free from accusation," it's time to begin applying, one at a time, the layers and shades of your new self — with God teaching you the steps. Check out Romans 12:1-2.
Just as we invest in the proper tools to maintain our natural beauty — the right brush, the most complimentary makeup, the clothes that look best on us, whitening toothpaste, exercise equipment, etc. — we must invest in the tools that'll enable us to continually "put off" the unwanted aspects of our character and "put on" Christlikeness (Colossians 3:5-17).
• Start with a Bible, and make time to read and study it.
• Attend a church where you'll grow closer to God.
• Pray. If you want to leave a hair salon with a workable, current and attractive hairstyle, you communicate with the stylist, right? In the same way, you've gotta communicate with God if you want to truly walk out your faith in a way that is workable, attractive and current.
• Adhere to guidelines. Have you ever chosen not to eat something because it would make you break out or give you bad breath? That's called discipline, and we need it in our pursuit of inner beauty, too. Sin is attractive and desirable, just like a candy bar or double scoop of ice cream. It's waiting to be sampled and tasted.
When you want to indulge in sin — taking in that inappropriate movie, song, book, Web site or computer game; compromising a lifestyle choice; holding on to anger; telling a lie that'd get you out of trouble; being bitter or saying a cutting remark — think about what it'll do to your life, just as you think about what that onion will do to your breath.
In fact, think about it more. Choose not to indulge in sin. It may not put a blemish on your face, but it puts one on your heart. Yes, Christ will forgive you when you repent, but have you ever noticed how some blemishes leave scars?
Real Change
Beauty takes work. Effort. Maintenance. Outward beauty is nice, but it's also fleeting. Inward beauty, however, can always increase and become more natural — more of who you really are in Christ, instead of something applied, pulled back, worked off or held in.
So, is it time for a makeover? If you're like me and almost everyone else I know, there's always room for some polish, a little more color or a refining touch or two to the personality. Go for it! Do whatever it takes to be like Jesus.
Just as it's worth it to spend some time on your outward appearance, it'll be worth seeing and living the results of God's beauty inside you!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article ppeared in Brio magazine. Copyright © 2003 Catherine M. Farnes. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Photo illustration by Ron Nickel.
posted by greeeeeeenx at 6:03 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home