Being Pretty

When I was a little girl, my mom used to tell me and my sisters, "Pretty is as pretty does." I knew exactly what that meant. At the time I was completely focused on clothes and hair and looks. But, by repeating this to me time and time again, my mother helped me to see that beauty on the inside is so much more important than beauty on the outside. And, even deeper, that even the most physically beautiful people in the world can become very, very ugly by the way they act and the things they do and the words they say and the people they hurt.

Our society is becoming so increasingly focused on beauty. Retaining or regaining our youth seems to be the only worthwhile goal. We are willing to spend lots and lots of money on clothes, cosmetics, surgeries and anything else we think will acheive this goal. And yet we are completly ignoring that inner beauty that shines from within us and glows as beauty to those around us.

Our daily news is overflowing with stories about "beautiful people" who are on drugs, who have endagered others by driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, who are shouting ugly things to their beloved children, who are estranging themselves from others by their mean spirited and selfish behavior, etc., etc.

"Pretty is as pretty does." We need more of that.

Imagine if we were surrounded instead by people who love others unconditionally, who are always filled with joy, who seek to bring peace into hostile situations, who are patient while shopping and driving, who are always speaking and behaving kindly to everyone, who are good and honest in all of their dealings, who are gentle with the fragile souls around them, who show self-control in the things they say and do and in the way they act.

Imagine.

Would not these truly be the "beautiful people"? Would not all of us seek to spend as much time as possible with these people?

Hmmm - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23

Perhaps we need less cosmetics, surgery and clothes and just more "Fruit".