BY DR. Sharon.K.Kimani
Fairytales often tell of a beautiful princesses that are saved by princes who were overcome by their beauty and fell in love at first sight. Love so deep that they often go on to risk their lives for this beautiful damsel. I used to be a fan of such fairytales but when I grew I realized their subliminal message- Beauty leads to love that results in your happily ever after! Or in other words, beauty is everything.
Let’s glance at the other side of that oh so thin edged coin. I remember volunteering at VBS for one church and being scolded by an older lady because I was wearing a pair of jeans and not a skirt. This stunned me because first I was volunteering in the games department and secondly because I had no idea that such a rule existed as I hadn’t attended that particular church for very long. The older lady went on to tell us how beauty was fleeting and we should instead aim to attract from within or more simply put: Beauty is nothing.
There has been such a debate about this topic, today I want to approach it from a different view.
Let’s take a look at Queen Esther. She was a Jew in exile and picked due to a specific qualification for the audition of the role of Queen. The qualifications were two: beautiful and a virgin.
Hundreds of young girls beautiful in their own right were brought to the palace but Esther was the one who was noted to have found favour with Hegai- this tells me that there was more to Esther than a pretty face. She was a woman of substance. You see her appearance qualified her for the audition but it wasn’t what gave her the part. In three specific times it is written that she found favour first from Hegai then at the second interview where she was granted favour from everyone who saw her, finally she was seen to find favour with King Xerxes Himself and then made Queen.
What is my point here: the outside will only grant you an audition not a position. For Esther her beauty became a qualification for an audition who due to her substance was granted the position of Queen and this position was used as a tool for impact.
Acceptance before I talk about the main topic at hand is crucial. Acceptance of who you are. We are in a world today that doesn’t go to the root of confusion but succumbs to its whims and leads to deeper holes of depression.
People don’t feel “beautiful” in their own skin so they do all manner of things to themselves trying to fix themselves and are actually applauded for ‘taking control’ when in reality they are loosing it. And when they realize that that knife or bleach or tan didn’t cure whatever they perceived as wrong they fall into deeper pits.
If we asked Sam at the kiosk to verify if a phone bought was a genuine Samsung verses Mr. Chief engineer at the Samsung headquarters whose report would hold more waters to you? Here’s the report of heavens chief engineering officer (PS it’s God)
Psalms 139:1-16
You are precious, you are beautiful “fearfully and wonderfully made” that’s what the Master calls you- don’t let anyone tell you different.
Now that’s sorted let’s get down to it.
Appearance:
Merriam Webster- noun
· The way that someone or something looks.
· external show; outward aspect
· a sense impression or aspect of a thing
Whenever you read for conditions in medicine there are many formats that are encouraged but all of them include the same start: a definition.
Simply because if you don’t know what you are talking about then there really is no use talking about it. Appearance as defined by google and Merriam Webster dictionary really focuses on the outward aspect of how something looks and seems, it’s a bases of assumption. Something that is used to judge and act.
Appearance: perspective of one from either self or others based on outer portrayal of said one.
The beginning- seven seconds
That’s how long it takes to make a first impression. This is important to note because that means as we walk down a street those that see us already have an impression of us. Wow, that means that we have the ability to impact or intrude someone’s thoughts without even saying a word. Well not only appearance factors into this.
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” ~2 Corinthians 5:20
An ambassador is a representative of a particular Country or community. So those who meet the ambassador meet the entire Nations representative in that particular place. Wow, it’s often likened to the Presidents face- catching where I’m going with this?
We are stated as Christs Ambassadors meaning that we are Christ’s face here on earth in EVERYTHING we do.
Ambassadors of the kingdom of God. Does this mean that we now must start following Kate Middleton and Megan Markle for style tips? Absolutely not! It just means that whatever is being demonstrated on the outside of us is a portrayal and representation of the truth within and about us. Are we walking around as ambassadors of heaven?
Heaven minded – but how does that now translate directly into life. Come on now, how about a little bit of practicality? Here are a few things that I would encourage you to consider when it comes to your appearance:
1. Motive
“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
~1 Samuel 16:7
What’s your motive? This was the favourite question of our Physics teacher in high school. He asked it so much that it was literally drilled into me. Surprisingly so this is the exact same question that God asks us about the decisions we make daily- including that of how we choose to look that day.
Why? What is pushing me to put on this particular outfit? Why have I decided to wear this worn out T-shirt out of the door?
In all honesty our only motive isn’t God. For instance if we have a job interview- you’d be dressing in a manner that would be most suitable to that environment and portray certain characteristics about you.
Pure of heart- that’s the key here. Is God’s honour upheld by your decision? Are your motives pure and has God gone before any other earthly factor in your mind? People will see new shoes and pretty hair but God will see straight through that and look right into your heart- what’s in there?
A pure motive, a pure heart.
To be continued.....
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