Day Three: FEAR OF THE DIVINE
“Abide in Me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you, unless you abide in Me. . . .
As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.”
—JOHN 15:4, 9
Dr. Hema Sundaram, dermatologist, cosmetic surgeon, and author of Face Value: The Truth About Beauty—and a Guilt-Free Guide to Finding It, told me that, many times, women fear “divine retribution” if they seek to alter or improve their appearance. “They may feel guilt or shame, and project this onto God,” she said.
We have strong emotional reactions to the subject of beauty and the possibility of altering our appearance in any way. Some of us insist that anything is acceptable as long as it makes us feel good. Others insist God intended for us to be all-natural—no makeup, no surgery, no elaborate clothes or jewelry. This fierce emotional reaction is evidence that our beauty is close to the marrow of our souls.
Women are afraid of losing love: we’re afraid God will reject us if we overvalue our appearance, and we’re afraid others will reject us if we don’t value it enough. But Jesus reassures us that our lives are rooted in His love for us. It is this love that is the source of all good things in our lives, including true beauty. As we root deeply into the Source of life and love, beauty will be a natural by-product of our efforts.Worry lines will soften.We’ll stop turning to the refrigerator for comfort so often. Our faces will have a soft glow of contentment and peace that is more alluring than any cosmetic.
Any desire of our hearts—even the desire to be physically beautiful—is an invitation for God to reveal Himself to us. By bringing this desire to God, we are moving beauty out of the shadows and into the light. We can trust that God will teach us in this journey to root deeply down into His love.
Ask: God, reveal to me the true source of beauty.
Believe: God is using my desire for beauty to teach me about His constant, unconditional love and affection.