Proverbs 31:30

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

What is the true beauty of a woman that can never be taken away? That kind of beauty comes primarily from within, and the source of it must be the fear of the Lord. The theme of the scriptures is more about our inward character than our outward appearance. In the New Testament Peter specifically address this issue in speaking of the role and character of wives, “Do not let your adorning be external…but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.”(I Peter 3:3, 4)

Yes, every follower of Christ should have that same foundation but there is also a unique influence of a woman of that character. She has an effect on the men in her life, whether her husband, sons, or brothers in Christ that is powerful. My own wife, Beverly, had that impact on me in our early years of dating as teenagers. Yes, she had outward beauty, but I found myself increasingly drawn to and convicted by the gentle, quiet, yet strong spirit within. She genuinely loved Christ and was more in love with him than me.

That has had a lifelong impact on me.

The more we see that godly beauty the less attracted we are to the world’s deceiving attempts at beauty that truly is vain. The world desperately wants to define how you women are to be beautiful, but sisters in Christ, you already are beautiful because of Christ!

We as husbands in particular don’t give you enough praise for not only the things you do but the spirit in which you desire to do them: he Spirit of Christ. May we as your husband’s again see anew the beauty of a woman who fears the Lord, and may we give you and him praise!

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Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By Jerry McFarland. © 2024 Tenth Presbyterian Church. Website: tenth.org