After talking with a friend the other day (ok, CJ to be exact) about high maintenance girls, it got me thinking. Well, first of all, I thought to myself, I wonder if people think I’m high maintenance, and I would kind of hope not. At least to me it has more of a negative connotation than anything. And what defines “high maintenance” anyways? I don’t know. Sure, I like to be presentable, I like to subtly enhance whatever beauty God has given me, and I enjoy taking my time to get ready, but I definitely don’t think I’m a very vain person. I would probably consider myself on the low end of the maintenance spectrum, but that’s just me.
Anyways, my snap judgment caused me to think, well, I hope he doesn’t think of me as high maintenance because high maintenance girls can’t be considered godly, because godly women shouldn’t care what society deems as beautiful or even acceptable, all we need to care about is our hearts and where they stand with God, because as the Bible says, “man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I don’t know that reference, maybe Proverbs?)
I was suddenly extremely convicted. Ugh. Ok, so if I’m not high maintenance, then I must be spending plenty of time reading the Bible and praying and learning about Jesus and all the stuff that “godly women” do… right?
Wrong.
Admittedly, I spend more time straightening my hair in the morning (if I get up on time) than reading my Bible. Do I feel good about that? No. Does that need to change? Probably. So, what do I do?
After this revelation, I realized that instead of spending more time looking at myself in the mirror, I need to be spending time with God, reading the Bible, whatever. If it’s God that I’m trying to get close to, then what good is spending an hour getting ready every day and only 5 minutes in prayer before bed? If it’s the condition of my heart that’s important, shouldn’t I spend more time working on that, instead of trying to impress other people by what I look like? I mean, it’s not like I need to gain God’s acceptance, I already have that, so what’s the point?
I’ve decided I still want to be presentable, I’m not just gonna “let myself go” in the name of Jesus, but I moreso want to allow the beauty of the Lord (since I was created in His image after all) to outshine any hairdo or makeup application or fashionable outfit. I want to challenge myself to spend at least the amount of time I take getting ready for work (or going out or whatever), getting to know Jesus more by reading, praying, spending time in the Bible, whatever. He deserves it. And that’s really living in love more than anything. So, I feel good about that.
“Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman that fears the Lord is to be praised.” (Prov. 31:30) ♥ jb
