Welcome to the first ever Wordfull Wednesday!!! Our topic this week is Inner Beauty.

What do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you see the eyes that are a little to close together, the plethora of freckles that dot your cheeks, the extra ten or fifty pounds you need to lose? Do you dig deeper and see the kind friend, a hard worker, one who likes to laugh and love?

In our materialistic world we are constantly bombarded with magazine covers dictating the latest fashion, the fastest way to lose pounds, or the best surgical procedures to correct our flaws. We are deceived into thinking that physical beauty defines who we are and equals happiness. As the mother of six daughters I realize I am the first example they see. If my daughters see me obsessing over my weight or lack of stylish clothes should I be surprised when they begin to do the same? I am constantly aware of all this pressure being thrown on young girls and women to achieve physical perfection. Why do so many fall prey to this unreachable standard? I fear they have lost their true sense of identity, the real beauty within.

The way we perceive ourselves affects everything we do – the way we behave, the choices we make, how we feel about others and associate with them. Inner beauty does not come easily. The natural goodness that children possess must be cultivated, the noxious weeds of self-doubt and inferior worth pulled out before they can take root and choke out the flowering buds of charm, sincerity, integrity, confidence and unselfishness. Children, all children, radiate warmth and beauty because it comes from within. They have not been tainted yet by the pressures and mocking of the world telling them they need this or that in order to be happy. There is danger of it occurring though. They are being targeted at younger and younger ages.

In our family we are trying to counter the unhealthy obsession with physical beauty that is being thrown at us almost from all sides. Now I’m not saying any attempt to aid our physical appearance is bad. Quite the contrary! Our outward appearance is a reflection of what is within us. We must care for the bodies the Lord has blessed us with and treat them with dignity and respect. That physical beauty is then greatly magnified by our inward countenance – our personality, attitude, poise, and speech. Those are the attributes we need to really work on.

Most important of all, I want my daughters to realize they are not only my daughters but they are daughters of God. He created them and God does not make mistakes. As His children there is glorious possibility within our own souls. Would we quench those divine gifts in a vain pursuit of worldly acceptance in a world of ever changing standards, fads, and fashions looking for the next greatest thing? “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21) What a divine promise to remember! Our true identity, our real beauty lies within. We needn’t look for it anywhere else.

WITHIN
by Carol Lynn Pearson

I read a map once
Saying the Kingdom of God
Was within me,
But I never trusted
Such unlikely ground.

I went out.
I scoured schools
And libraries
And chapels and temples
And other people’s eyes
And the skies and the rocks,
And I found treasures
From the kingdom’s treasury,
But not the kingdom.

Finally
I came in quiet
For a rest
And turned on the light.
And there
Just like a surprise party,
Was all the smiling royalty,
King, Queen, court.

People have been
Locked up for less, I know.
But I tell you
Something marvelous
Is bordered by this skin:
I am a castle
and the kingdom of God
Is within.

Write a post with your own thoughts and feelings about this subject, come back and sign the Mr. Linky, then go and read what other bloggers have to say about Inner Beauty. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the different directions some of the posts have taken. Leave comments to those you visit, I’m sure they’ll appreciate it!

For those of you who have never used Mr. Linky before here are the instructions:
Type your name, or blog name if your prefer, in the box that says “Your Name:”
Paste the URL of your Inner Beauty post where it says “Your URL:”
The easiest way to get the URL of your post is to right click on the title of your published post and select “Copy Link Location” from the menu that pops up. This copies the url to your computer’s clipboard. Then in the Mr. Linky place the cursor in the “Your URL” box and paste (Ctrl V). Press enter and you should see your name come up in the numbered list above the box.