By: Bethany Baird
(of Lies Young Women Believe, via INTO THE LIGHT Journal)
(of Lies Young Women Believe, via INTO THE LIGHT Journal)
Victoria has been boldly telling girls all across the world that the secret to true beauty is a sexy body. If you want to be beautiful, you must have tanned skin, long
What are we supposed to do with the message of Victoria's Secret and other cultural voices sending the same message? Should we believe them? Is it true that having perfect cleavage makes a woman beautiful?
What are we supposed to do with the message of Victoria's Secret and other cultural voices sending the same message? Should we believe them? Is it true that having perfect cleavage makes a woman beautiful?
Thankfully, that standard isn't true. It's impossible to reach (and maintain forever). I am so glad that the Victoria's Secret message of beauty is a fraud! God's standard of true beauty has nothing to do with perfect skin, nice legs, or a skinny waist. So don't be deceived by the culture's alluring but false standards. They aren't true.
So what is true beauty? How can we find contentment in God's design for us? Proverbs 31:30 says, "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." God is more concerned about your desire to please Him than He is in your outward appearance. Yes, I believe it is important to take care of your physical body, and there is a proper way to do that. God is not calling us to walk around in dark saggy clothes with a grim look on our faces. But He also doesn't want us to deck ourselves out in the latest, sexy fashions, striving to find affirmation from those around us.
According to the verse above (Prov. 31:30), God is saying that outward beauty will fade but a woman who loves the Lord is worthy of praise. If you dig into God's Word you will notice that women like Ruth, Esther, and Mary were not praised for their outward beauty alone, but for their devotion to God and their willingness to serve Him no matter the cost. They worked to make their lives a reflection of God's standards.
Think about it—you will never be able to please the standards of the world. Everyone has a different opinion. Some people like long hair, and some people like short hair. Some people like tall girls, and others prefer short girls. Some people like tanned skin, and some people like light skin. Some people like freckles, and other people don't. How can we ever measure up to that? It's impossible. And thankfully, we don't have to. Psalm 139:13 says, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."
God is your Creator. He knitted your physical body together just the way He wanted it to look. He created you to have the exact nose, eyes, skin, and hair you have. He chose to give you your physical features on purpose. It wasn't an accident.
If you have bought into the lie that Victoria has been selling, pray and ask God to reshape the way you view beauty. Search God's Word, and see what He desires in you as a woman. A great place to start is Proverbs 31. The books of Ruth and Esther are wonderful examples of women who strived to please the Lord and not those around them.
Remember, God's Word will not change when the summer styles end or when the latest fad is outdated. Victoria is ever changing, and I guarantee that you will never be able to please her. Join me in rejecting the lie of Victoria's Secret, and let's start living for the One who created us!
