Beauty Revealed

My first real lesson from my new quiet time routine (see Previous post) was in the area of wifehood. The first part of praying for your husband actually started by praying for yourself, his wife. Weird, but okay. I was awestruck by this quote:

"You will be expected to be sexually appealing, a good cook, a great mother, and physically, emotionally, and spiritually fit."

I think all too often we try to do these things in our own power, and it is absolutely impossible. I think it is completely fine to enlist God's help in these areas. But the one I want to address specifically is the appealing one. There has to be some effort on our own part made to keep ourselves attractive to our husbands. I am not saying anything like cosmetic surgery is ever warranted, but like Queen Esther, who beautified herself for a year before going to see the king, we need to make the effort.

I often find myself wondering, does Brent still find me attractive? My devotional posed this question in response to that thought:

"What am I doing to make myself attractive to my husband? Do I keep myself clean and smelling good? Do I see that my internal self is cleansed and rejuvenated with regular exercise? Do I preserve my strength and vitality with a healthful diet? Do I dress attractively? And most important: do I spend time alone with God every day? I guarantee that the more time you spend with the Lord, the more radiant you will become (Proverbs 31:30). You can't afford not to make this investment in yourself ... It is not selfish to do it. It is selfish not to do it."

I would say that is fairly convicting, but I think it is definitely timely for me right now. I have been dealing with a new body since I had Bree. I call it my 'mom' body. While I have put time and effort into getting back to my original weight, and because I have made an effort to eat healthy and get moving, I achieved that goal weeks ago. However, things may never be exactly how they used to be, but I am learning that it does not make it less beautiful, or me less beautiful to Brent.

My beauty and radiance ultimately come from time spent with the Lord and my relationship with Him. I can make the effort to do what I can to maintain a healthy body, but my heart for the Lord is what shines outward and beautifies me.