beautiful part 3

Sorry it has been awhile since my last post. I would like to finish up with the final two premises that women and girls wrap their identities up in:

4) Career- so if work is going good, you feel accompished and not so stressed out...but what about when it goes bad? You feel bad, don't you? It stresses you out, and when you are stressed out you feel low worthless, and either mentally or physically ugly. Luke 10 tells the story of Martha and Mary. Martha was so caught up in her work, that she lost sight of the fact that Jesus was in the room...and she got frustrated with Mary because Mary was sitting at Jesus feet instead of helping her. Martha was consumed by work, and Mary was consumed by Jesus. When you allow yourself to be consumed by Jesus, it doesn't mean you ignore the work that needs to be done...it means that you do not let it control your emotions. Mary felt beauty as she sat before the Lord, and Martha felt stressed out because in her heart, she wanted to be like Mary...but she was consumed by duty.

5) Religion- even christians can be so caught up in their religion that they lose sight of the value that Jesus has placed on them. For some reason, church has become this place where we feel like we have to always appear at our very best, from the clothes that we wear to the condition of our lives. So instead of church being a place where we are able to come before Christ weak and broken, it is a place where we have to prop up an image of ourselves that tells the world that we have it all together. Maybe you joined a prayer group, and all you do is sit around talking about the sins in other peoples lives and then say "we need to pray for her...because she is a -fill in blank-." When you are consumed by religion, you become the person who is leaning on the cross, staring out at the masses and pointing out the faults and sins of everyone else...instead, Christ desires you to be the one kneeling at the cross, looking over yout shoulder only to tell the others that there is plenty of room for them. Religion...especially southern church culture...has done more to hurt the cause of Christ than any other aspect of society, becauseit has become about what you wear in the house of God, and how good and perfect you can appear. I would rather see people in ragged jeans and t-shirts who have an inner desire and passion for God, than to see a group of panty-hose wearing hypocrites that size everyone up as they walk in the door. You may say "well, I dress nice at church because the bible says to give God our best." I'm pretty sure that didn't mean your clothes...way to abuse the word of God...

Now, I want you to think about the person in your life that you admire the most. Who is it?
Now, think about the one main reason that you admire them...

Did it fall into any of those 5 categories? Do you admire them because they have an attractive appearance? Do you admire them because they have a prettier home than you? Do you admire them because you wish you had the husband, or boyfriend that they have? Do you admire them because of the job that they have? Do you admire them because they point out the sins of others instead of fixing the sins In their own life?

My guess is NO!

So I challenge you...strive to be like the ones that you admire most, because of the character qualities that they have. Most of all, strive to be like Jesus...and in that, you will understand the beauty that He sees in you.

Bless you all! Never grow weary of striving for the life God has intended for you! And in it all, may you always feel...BEAUTIFUL!

Ypc.