Captivating Beauty

    A good friend of mine and I have had many conversations as of late that sound something like this... "I need to be eating better, I am so fat...   I need to be committed to going to the gym/working out I cannot believe I how much weight I have gained..." etc... I am sure you know the conversation.  Maybe you have had it yourself recently.  We are bombarded with images of women in our society that either plague us with insecurity or cause us to become bitter and cynical.  What is this desire for beauty? Why is it so central to our beings as women?  Is it God created? Could this insurmountable desire to be noticed, to be adored, be part of God's creation?  I would dare to say a resounding YES!!!  I am doing a lot of studying and reading on the issue of beauty and insecurity.  In the book "Captivating" by John and Stasi Eldridge, this issue of the desire for beauty is largely addressed.  Stasi writes, "a woman knows, down in her soul, that she longs to bring beauty to the world.  She might be mistaken on how, but she longs for a beauty to unveil.  This is not just culture, or the need to "get a man".  This is in her heart, part of her design."  She goes on discussing how women are created in God's image, God is not inherently male or female, God has both masculine and feminine qualities.  That is why men and women are created so differently, yet so complementary.  Men long for a beauty to rescue, hence the "superhero" phase that some (including my husband) never grow out of :). Women desire to be sought after, to be adored, to be seen, which can be seen in the dress up, jewelry wearing, makeup dawning, twirling princess stage in most little girls.  These completely different desires are complementary of one another.  This is the Lords, heart in action.  He is a warrior, he is a valiant hero. Yet He also longs to be sought after. All throughout scripture God says "Seek Me" "Know Me" "Love Me".  How much does that sound like something I have thought in my head (and at times said out loud).  God's hearts desire is for us to desire Him.  God yearns to be known, to be sought after.
     So the desire to be found beautiful and yearned for came from the Lord.  However, I feel that most women doubt that they have any genuine beauty to unveil.  I know it is one of my deepest doubts.  I am so very aware of my shortcomings, my flaws and imperfections.  I am convinced ever so easily that I have nothing to offer, that there is nothing in me that is desirable, therefore I must try to muster up some form of beauty on my own accord.  But what is deeper than that lack of confidence in my outward appearance is my lack of confidence in God.  Stasi talks about this as well... "Eve was convinced by the serpent, convinced of what?  Convinced that God was holding out on her.  Convinced that she could not trust His heart toward her. Convinced that in order to have the best possible life, she must take matters into her own hands.  And so she did.  She is the first to fall.  In disobeying God she also violated her very essence."  How difficult it is to trust that the Lord's desire is for the best possible life for me, that I can trust His heart.  He alone knows my desires, He created them!  He can fulfill that undeniable, unquenchable thirst to be known, the be seen, to be adored, He only asks the same in return.  If we should ever doubt that beauty is the essence of God, simply take a look around... nature's soul purpose is not to be functional, but to be beautiful.  Beauty is inviting, nourishing, comforting, transcendent, beauty draws us to God.