God’s True Beauty Plan

This is the first in a series on Strength and Dignity.

Recently, I have been asked to speak in different areas of the country on strength and dignity as well as Godly beauty.  As I have prepared for those presentations and asked God to guide the message, I have been humbled by the need in our world today to understand and embrace what a life defined by God looks like. I have felt God nudging me to share those thoughts and His message in a series of blog posts.

So what is True Beauty as defined by our Creator…..the One who made us and continues to mold us to be all that He designed.

As a Dermatologist, a physician who treats the skin, the impression to many can be that this is a very superficial profession. A profession that is focused on external beauty. And many of my days are filled with Botox procedures, recommendations on proper skin care products for healthy, beautiful skin as well as cosmetic treatments. But overall my days are diverse and filled with amazing people who desire for their skin to look and feel better or different. Maybe to get relief from itching or pain. Maybe to remove cancerous or worrisome lesions.

From the teenager with bad acne who struggles to look me in the eye, hair covering their face, subdued personality. Yet once treated and acne improves, they have a new hair style, are more animated, alive and confident.

To the lady with full body hives, itching and miserable, who is not self conscious at all about disrobing in front of me to get relief.

Or the five year old boy with horrible thick, scaly plaques of eczema over most of his body not sparing the face, who is ridiculed and avoided at school. Once his skin is clear he jumps off of the exam table into my arms, hugging my neck and takes out $1.30 from his pocket, his lunch money he saved, to give me thanks. (By the way, I did not keep his lunch money.)

Dermatology is more than skin deep, just like TRUE BEAUTY!!

Biblical Beauty:

When I think of women of beauty in the Bible, Esther is the most obvious example as she embraced the ritual of 12 months of beauty treatments to enhance her God-given beauty prior to going into the King.
Or Abigail and her beautiful resourcefulness and courage to protect her people and go to David to pursue peace despite the hard-hearted nature of her husband, Nabal.
Or Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus for choosing the most important thing.
Or Mary the mother of Jesus who endured so much, yet pondered and treasured all that she witnessed.

But God directs our hearts and minds to also find beauty in:
Miriam, despite her expressing fear and doubt, even jealousy of her brother Moses.
Martha, who was distracted by the busyness of hospitality.
Rahab, a harlot or prostitute who chose God.
Or the Woman at the well who listened and changed her life and ways after spending a few moments with Jesus.

I believe, that true beauty rests in the deep recesses of our hearts where God fosters what He has created. God will nurture that beauty and allow it to blossom outwardly.

We are inwardly beautiful because of our Creator. Just like healthy skin is beautiful skin, a healthy relationship with our Creator allows us to be truly beautiful.