You are God's Beautiful Creation!

One of my favorite trees is the redbud, which grows wild in the east Texas piney woods near my hometown. When we bought our house, a nice large one centered the back of our yard. Its early spring beauty overwhelmed us, particularly as we viewed it through our second story windows as an umbrella of gorgeous violet blooms. Sadly, it began to die branch by branch over the past year, and we were forced to cut it down. All we have left is a crater where it was anchored in the ground by its roots.

This past week we shopped for a new tree. Although we considered several options, the springtime beauty of the redbud was such a strong attraction that we chose to replace the one we had with another of the same variety. We hope to get it in the ground before it buds to be once again overcome by the splendor of God’s great creative power.

As people, we are the crowning achievement of God’s amazingly diverse creation. He designed each of us as a unique and original work of art. God wants us to reveal his great glory by becoming beautiful women, not on the outside but on the inside.

As we bloom in character, we show the wonder of God. “Let your beauty not be external—the braiding of hair and wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes—but the inner person of the heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight” (1 Pet. 3:3-4, NET).

A gentle and quiet spirit is one that doesn’t demand its way, one that is teachable, and one that accepts what life brings because she trusts God. Sadly, I don’t always fit this description. However, as God grows my faith, getting my way becomes less important to me and I more readily trust him with outcomes. I desire to be beautiful on the inside, bringing God’s glory into my world of influence.

How are you developing inner beauty?