The Importance of Balancing Our Inward and Outward Beauty Part II- Outward Beauty Outward beauty and grooming is important. It is a bad testimony to the world when we do not properly care for ourselves. Psalm 144:12b- that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace: This verse is teaching that ladies and girls need to be polished. Some people think that being feminine and polite may be just a preppy way to live or that one is stuck on oneself if she is concerned with her outward appearance. On the contrary, this verse is teaching that we as Christian ladies need to be as polished corner stones, which I believe is referring to strength. A girl or lady who is strong knows how to work hard and get her hands dirty. In the same fashion, much strength is required to keep one s mouth closed and one s opinion to one s self when necessary. Some areas in which we should polish ourselves: 1. Our inward man (read Part I for more information on this topic) Psalm 45:2, 7- Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured in thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. Thou lovest righteousness, and
hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 2. Our physical grooming Clothing Psalm 45:8, 13, 14- All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory places, whereby they have made thee glad. The king s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. The Bible is expressing how beautiful this girl s (king s daughter) (I am a child of the King) clothes were. How important for we as Christian ladies to dress nice for our King. I believe that we can accomplish this task inexpensively and modestly. We should dress like we are the King s daughters. Beauty Psalm 45:11- So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. Some Christians are almost nervous or insecure about this subject of looking beautiful because the world has tarnished our thoughts on beauty. If you study the
Bible, especially the book of Song of Solomon, this book deals much with the subject of beauty. Solomon definitely bragged on his wife s beauty and how she took care of herself. He specifically noticed in detail many things about her outward appearance. I made sure I pointed out the fact to my husband that Solomon noticed how beautiful his wife s feet were with sandals. I told my husband that this verse is giving me permission to get a pedicure TODAY!:) There is definitely a proper balance in this area. Proper hygiene Cleanliness is next to godliness. John Wesley Take a shower or bath once or twice a day at least. Try to exfoliate your skin once a week to remove dead skin cells. Wear a good anti-perspirant deodorant and perfume. Check your nails and toenails to make sure they are trimmed at least once a week, and make sure they are clean every day. Make sure your clothes are clean, no holes or snags, and neatly pressed if necessary. Make sure underclothes are clean daily or more often if necessary. Shave every day or every other day (depending on each specific person). Making this a habit will also help to keep body odor at bay. Make sure you are aware of your own personal body odor (especially on your menstrual cycle; take extra care). Brush your teeth 2-3 times a day and do not forget to floss. Many people keep odors in their mouth simply because they do not floss daily. After showering, put lotion on daily. Ask your professional hair stylist how often you should wash your hair for your hair type.
This is just a basic list of hygiene rules that I have learned from other Godly ladies. If you need help in this area, ask a discreet and wise lady to counsel with you. There are many times that girls are not taught this very important rule of living with good hygiene. So, do not be embarrassed; seek help if necessary. 3. Our health III John 2- Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. John believed it was important for Christians to take care of their health. Learn to take care of your health while you still have it. Some areas that we should practice good health: Diet and exercise *Have a scheduled time at least 3-4 days a week about 20-30 minutes to exercise. This is good for your heart health, body, and overall spirit. Do not overdo exercise or this could be bad for your health also. If you do not have a scheduled time to exercise, most of the time you will not exercise consistently.
*Have a scheduled eating plan. Plan ahead what you will eat and snack on for that day so then you will not overeat or eat too much junk. Your body needs enzymes (raw food) to rebuild itself, such as a car will need gas to run properly. Work on drinking 8-10 glasses of water per day. Too many cokes and too much caffeine will dehydrate you and keep you from properly flushing toxins outside of your body. Be sober and temperate, and you will be healthy. -Benjamin Franklin Sleeping habits *Try to have a scheduled time to go to sleep and wake up. Our body works best on a schedule. Be careful about oversleeping. The Bible warns us not to be slothful. (Proverbs 6:4, 6-11; Proverbs 19:15; Proverbs 20:13; Proverbs 23:21; Proverbs 24:33-34; Proverbs 31:18) All of these verses from Proverbs compare sleeping with slothfulness. Sleeping late in the morning is not good; however, sometimes our bodies need the extra rest after added work or stress such as: camp, youth conference, etc To be successful in life, everything important takes hard work and discipline.
Other valuable things to remember: *Beauty is not to be used as competition between other girls. It is not discreet to tell another girl how much you paid for shoes or an outfit. Saying something about the cost of an item you paid for may make another person feel bad if they do not have as much money as you do. *Beauty is not for the primary purpose of attracting a man. *We should not find our security in our beauty. All of our security and selfworth should come from God. *We should use our beauty to encourage others. I take care of myself not because I need my husband to tell me that I am pretty, but because I want to please the Lord, love my husband, and encourage him. *We should not compare ourselves with the world s beauty. The world s idea of beautiful is definitely not making their lives more joyful. Singers and movies stars are constantly marrying and re-marrying. Looking at the world and measuring your beauty by their standards will make you feel insecure with how beautiful God made you individually. God made each of us in His Own image. *Ask your dad or husband s opinions and preferences regarding your beauty. *Being feminine is not a personality; it is a learned quality. Learning how to be feminine and discreet might not be natural to everyone, but it is important that we practice becoming all that God has for us to be. Do not be
overwhelmed. Have a teachable spirit. God is patient. He will teach us how to be a lady if we ask for His help. Psalm 45: 9, 12- King s daughters were among thy honorable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favor. Jackie Carr