Beautiful Hair or a Beautiful Heart?

The world has enough women who know how to do their hair. It needs women who know how to do hard and holy things. Anne Voskamp

I read this quote a while ago, but as I saved it to my phone, I am constantly reminded of it. I would like to elaborate on it some more.

In our world today, there is so much pressure on women to make themselves more beautiful on the outside. You Tube and Instagram scream at us through thousands of videos, to promote ourselves, to use their products in order that we can look more attractive. And there are countless hair and make-up tutorials.

Now, I’m not saying that you can’t or shouldn’t watch them, as sometimes they can be helpful for information on which products to use or how to style your particular hair length or texture.

What I want to say is that the heart is so much more important.

And as the quote says, we have enough women telling us how to do our hair, but what about some women who know how to separate from the world, walk and talk a Godly lifestyle, glorify God with their testimony and lead others to Christ through their Godly witness as they show God’s love?

The world tries to tell us that they will love us if we are beautiful. But you are beautiful because you are already loved. You were made in God’s image.

Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

We don’t need the world to tell us who we are and how we should look. We need women who are willing to stand up for what is right. We need women who are happy with how God made them. We need women willing to sit at Jesus feet, as Mary did, and learn of him.

We don’t need more women telling us how to look more attractive, we need more women telling us how to live our lives glorifying to God. We need women who are not afraid to dig into the Word of God and find Godly examples to follow and then share what they learn with others.

We need women who are walking closely with the Lord, showing by their testimony, what God can do and has done and will do.

1 Samuel 16:7b …for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

The world looks at the outside and judges by what it sees there, but God is looking for women with strength of character, borne out of hardship and trial and a life spent trusting the Lord. He looks right through and into the heart. He sees beyond our immaculate hairstyles and flawless make up. He sees the beauty or the ugliness within.

1 Peter 3:3-4 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

I recently listened to a series of lessons on having a meek and quiet spirit and what a conviction it was to my heart. It’s definitely not something that comes naturally. Meekness and quietness. No, it’s something that has to be worked on every day of our lives.

We all take some time, whether a lot or a little, to do our hair each morning. We make ourselves look presentable, whether it means straightening or curling or washing, or in my case, putting it in a ponytail and covering it up with a cap in a matter of seconds.

It doesn’t matter and I am not here to judge either way. But I do want to remind you that God is looking deeper than the surface. In order for our lives to count for something, we have to have a desire to grow spiritually and give God all the glory for what he does in our lives.

That means we need to spend time in God’s Word. We need to spend time in prayer. We need to spend time encouraging a sister in the Lord, coming alongside and being a friend and a help. We may need to give up some things that are drawing us away from what is Godly and holy. We may need to separate from some things. We may need to take less time on our outward appearance so that we can make more time to focus on our heart condition.

It's not easy making time in our busy schedules to read and pray. It takes time to write that text or make that phone call to encourage a friend in need. It often means we have to neglect something that we may have thought important. But, if it has eternal value, then it is all worth it. If it means we don’t look as ‘together’ as we usually do, but God is pleased and glorified by our actions, then so be it. We have to do hard things at times to bring glory to God, but it is to be our all-consuming goal in life. Giving glory to God.

The beauty on the outside fades with time, but Godly character gets more and more beautiful as it matures and grows and blossoms into something God can use.

2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

So, if I can encourage you in any thing, please remind yourself of the way God looks at you. He’s looking on the inside. Don’t neglect your physical appearance, but don’t let it become your focus.

Let’s join together and become women of God, who are willing to do hard and holy things. Let’s encourage each other and support each other as we live our lives and strive to bring glory to God, the giver of all good things. He loves you unconditionally, and a bad hair day is not going to change that!

God bless.