Beauty Secrets

“Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel--rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”

1 Peter 3:3-4


I can’t help but notice that the older I get the more aged my skin becomes. It’s the natural process of aging and though we cant stop it completely as there is no such thing as the fountain of youth, we can do many things to slow the aging process. Are you aware that the number one factor to aging is stress? Statistics tell us that for ever four years a president of the United States serves in public office he ages ten years. That means a two term president has taken twelve years off his life by serving for just eight years. Stress isn’t just ugly, it kills.

God offers us a beauty secret that I got to see with my own eyes again this week. I saw men and women alike who actually looked younger simply by spending time in the presence of God. I’m serious. We had just ended what is termed an “afterglow” service after our regular Wednesday night service where we just worshiped the Lord a little longer before going home and the glow on some faces was apparent. Oh, I am sure some left looking just like they did when they came, unaffected by the presence of God. The ones who caught my eye though were those who appeared to get a spiritual facial. Psalm 96:6 spells it out pretty clear, “Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.” In other words, spending time in the presence of God can actually affect the way you look and feel. More relaxed, more at ease, peaceful and joyful.

You can spend a lot of time looking for cosmetics that cover the blemishes or you spend time with the Lord and worshiping Him exposing the peace and natural beauty of God that comes from within you. Cosmetologists tell us that H2O, water, is actually the best thing for our complexion as it removes the dirt that blocks our pours and allows the natural glow of our skins pigmentation to shine through. Psalm 51:7 reminds us of the benefit of coming to God for the forgiveness of our sins. King David pens these words after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba and then repented and asked the Lord, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter then snow.” 1 John 1:9 reminds us as well, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God wants us to experience His refreshing presence. He wants our faces to shine!

True beauty is an inside out job not the other way around. Proverbs 31:30 makes it clear on this point, “Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.” I witnessed it for myself this past week looking at the faces of those who simply spent time waiting on and worshiping the Lord. I thought to myself, this might just be heavens best beauty secret. No wonder the psalmist penned the words, “One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple” (Psalm 27:4).

Worshiping Jesus has benefits. Just read Psalm 103:2, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits”. Coming to church for some is like going to a day spa, in that the presence of God is both cleansing and refreshing. A good sermon seeks out those spiritual knots deep within us and just like a great massage can make you sore for the moment as those tension knots deep within us are discovered and then rubbed out, God’s Word works in the same way. It’s a proven medical, scientific statistical fact that those who have a genuine faith and practice it, they live longer more satisfying lives with a deeper sense of peace than those who don’t. All the more reason to let the Word of God dwell in you richly, allowing it to go deep into your soul and work out all the kinks that we each have. Find true and lasting forgiveness in Christ that replaces the shame and the guilt with peace and freedom. Yes, loved one, true beauty is an inside out job. Let God in and watch the transformation He brings out.


“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

2 Corinthians 5:17


I LOVE YOU!  

Michael Osthimer

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