I asked this simple question last night to the girls in my small group at church. They all answered Yes, thought some thought about it first while others answered with confidence. Well, that's for the girls in my small group and for other Christian girls I know. But what about you? What about the others who do not know that they are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)? Do they feel beautiful? Do they feel that they are, in their own little way, the most beautiful of all creation? Or do they live in the shadow of some "perfect" model of beauty or some standard that people and society has put? Or worst, they think they can never be beautiful or that they can never measure up a bit to what we call BEAUTY?
To be honest, if one of the girls last night answered me with a NO, I would have been devastated. A NO would have caused me heartache for the sole reason that NO WOMAN DESERVES TO FEEL UNPRETTY. EVERY WOMAN IS BEAUTIFUL.
Most women tend to disregard this aspect of who they are. They tend to hide their beauty within all the workload, baggy clothes, cheaply done hair color that does not even look good, or too much make-up. We hide in different personas just so we can hide our real beauty. Sadly, we even hide in dysfunctional relationships. Why do we hide? What are we afraid of?
Let's go back to our childhood. Back to the time when all we want to do is play Princess and dress up in anything shimmery and shiny just so we can feel that we are indeed little princesses in a big kingdom. We would always ask the people around us, especially mom and dad, this one simple question yet the answers we get would wound our core, would bring a lot of messages to our hearts. What's the question?
"Am i beautiful?"
Lucky you if your parents dotted on you and would tell you that you are the most beautiful princess in the whole universe. But for most women, it wasnt the case. And they grew up believing that they are not. So should our parents be entirely blamed? Partly, they should be. But not entirely. They are just living in a world east of Eden. So who should be entirely blamed? Let us go back to Creation and to the Fall of Man.
(Excerpts from the book Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge)
The Crown of Creation (p.22)
We will never truly understand women until we understand this. The scene begins in darkness,
Darkness over the deep and God's breath hovering over the waters. (Gen. 1:2 Alter)
The breathless moment in the dark before the first notes of a great symphony or concert, a play or an epic film. All is formless, empty, dark. Then a voice speaks.
"Let there be light." (Gen. 1:3 Alter)
And suddenly, there is light, pure light, magnificent light. Its radiance will enable us to see now what is unfolding. The voice speaks again, and again.
"Let there be a vault in the midst of the waters, and let it divide water from water." (Gen. 1:6 Alter)
"Let the waters under the heavens be gathered in one place so that the dry land will appear."
(Gen.1:9 Alter)
"Let the earth grow grass plants... and trees bearing fruit..." (Gen. 1:11 Alter)
"Let there be lights in the vault of the heavens..." (Gen.1:14 Alter)
"Let the waters swarm with the swarm of living creatures and let the fowl fly over the earth..." (Gen. 1:20 Alter)
From water and stone, to pomegrenatee and rose, to leopard and nightingale, CREATION ASCENDS IN BEAUTY. What was once formless and empty is now overflowing with life and color and sound and movement in a thousand variations. Most importantly, notice that each creature is MORE intricate and noble and mysterious than the last.
Then somethingtruly astonishing takes place.
God sets his own image on the earth. He creates a being like Himself. He creates a son.
The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed life into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Gen.2:7)
It is nearing the end of the 6th day, the end of the Creator's great labor, as Adam steps forth, the image of God, the triumph of his work. He alone is pronounced the son of God. Nothing in Creation even comes close. Truly, the masterpiece seems complete. AND YET, the Master says that something is not good, not right. Something is missing... and that something is EVE.
And the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the human, and he slept, and He took one of his ribs and closed over the flesh where it had been, and the Lord God built the rib He had taken from the human into a woman and He brought her to the human. (Gen. 2:21-23 Alter)
She is the crescendo, the final, astonishing work of God. WOMAN. In one last flourish Creation comes to a finish not with Adam, but with Eve. She is the Master's finishing touch. Eve is... breathtaking.
Given the way creation unfolds, how it builds to ever higher and higher works of art, can there be any doubt that Eve is the crown of Creation? Not an afterthought. Not a nice addition like an ornament on a tree. She is God's final touch. She fills a place in the world and no one else can fill.
Isn't that amazing? We, women, are the most beautiful among ALL of His creations. But what happened? Why are we feeling like we are not beautiful? Like we will never measure to what society calls beautiful? Let's step back into the Bible thru the book Captivating.
The Fall of Eve (p.46)
Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the creatures the Lord God had made. "Really?" he asked the woman. "Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?"
"Of course we may eat it," the woman told him. "It's only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God says we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will die."
"You won't die!" the serpent hissed. "God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil."
The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it too. (Gen.3:1-6 NLT)
The woman was convinced. That's it? Just like that? In a matter of moments? Convinced of what? look in your own heart - you'll see. Convinced that God was holding out on her. Convinced that she could not trust His heart toward her.
Thus, we are cursed. Woman is cursed with loneliness (relational heartache), with the urge to control (especially her man) and the feeling that we will never measure up to the word beautiful. So who's to blame? Eve? No! She's just a victim, just like you and me. Blame someone who has a special hatred for women.
Special Hatred (p.82)
For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule the world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. (Eph. 6:12 NLT)
Why does Satan make Eve the focus of his assault on humanity?
You may know that Satan was first named Lucifer, or Son of the Morning. It infers a glory, a brightness or radiance unique to him. In the days of his former glory he was appointed a guardian angel. Many believe he was the captain of the angel armies of God. The guardian of the glory of the Lord.
"You were the model of perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
You were in Eden,
the garden of God;
every precious stone adorned you:
ruby, topaz and emerald,
chrysolite, onyx and jasper,
sapphire, turquoise and beryl.
Your settings and mountings were made of gold;
on the day you were created they were prepared.
You were anointed as a guardian cherub,
for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
you walked among the fiery stones." (Ezek. 28:12-14)
Perfect in beauty. That is the key. Lucifer was gorgeous. He was breathtaking. And it was his ruin. Pride entered Lucifer's heart.
"Your heart became proud
on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
because of your splendor." (Ezek. 28:17)
Satan fell because of his beauty. Now his heart for revenge is to assault beauty. He destroys it in the natural world wherever he can. He wreaks destruction on the glory of God in the earth like a psychopath committed to destroying great works of art.
But most especially, HE HATES EVE.
Because she is captivating, uniquely glorious, and he cannot be. She is the incarnation of the beauty of God.
Blame it on Lucifer. Jealous and conceited Lucifer. He hates you because he FEARS who you are; what you are; what you might become. He fears your beauty and our life-giving heart.
Women, it's time to fight. We are fragile in some ways yes but we can fight! We can fight the battle to feel unpretty and inadequate in our lives. How? Close your eyes and picture the moment when all in heaven was crying. God, in all His power, would not stop what was to happen. His one and only Son is already on the cross, about to die so that He can overcome the world, and everything on it. All the lies, all the bitterness, and all the pain. Look onto Christ. He loves YOU. Yes, YOU. In God's eyes, YOU are the most beautiful.
Ever wondered why most of those who received significant healing from God in the bible are women? Women, who at that time was considered to be worthless. For example, the woman with hemorrhage and the dead girl (Mark 5: 21-43) and the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:24). Also, who first came to know that Christ has resurrected? It was the women who went to His tomb. What about Martha and Mary? And the widow who offered all that she has? Why are they included in His story? I'd like to think that it's because WOMEN MATTERS TO HIM. He came to earth to free women from the curse. And to bring healing to their hearts. To restore them.
Let me share with you this other simple truth I read from Captivating:
You really wont understand your life as a woman until you understand this:
You are passionately loved by the God of the universe.
You are passionately hated by the Enemy.
The good news there is, the One who loves you is far greater and far more powerful than the enemy.
Women, it's time to stop listening to all the lies of the enemy. Be free. Be beautiful. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL inside out.
"A woman being pursued by her man is at her most beautiful. But a woman being romanced and loved and amazed by her God is the most beautiful. -Gillian Hero Guerrero-Angeles"
Smile beautiful! :)
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