Living in a world where emphasis is many times placed on aesthetics, we are called to question as to what beauty really is and what is the purpose of this beauty. A biblical perspective of this will help us not to deter from the path or subtly join the world in misplacing our priorities. There is a word for us today; an injunction so to put, I pray we heed to it.
The bible tells us in 1st Peter 3:1-4; ‘Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price’.In the scripture above, Apostle Peter, by divine inspiration of God was admonishing Christian ladies on submissiveness and true character. We will however put emphasis on the latter for the now.
There is a desire to look good, presentable; ladies having a greater part of this desire. This has been capitalized on by the world and has pushed many to carnality, shifting their focus from God to Man, from the important to the trivial and if not watched and addressed, can push such a man to worldliness and losing eternal life. This is thus an admonishment we should pay heed to.In the passage we read, mention was made of adorning. To adorn means to make someone/ something more beautiful and attractive; to decorate. An adorning is that which is worn to make a person more beautiful, more desirable to look upon. The bible in that passage seems to be saying; that which makes you beautiful/ attractive to people shouldn’t be that which is seen on the outside/physical. It should rather be that which emanates from the inside.This is in total contrast with what we see daily in the media; the billboards, TV adverts, what we hear daily in the radio. It is however expected as the world is enmity with God, no common grounds. Before we continue, let us bring a truth in the bible to bear as it concerns this issue. The bible tells us in Psalms 139:14; ‘I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well’.
This is a truth that if your eyes are closed to, you would be tossed to and fro. Know this beloved; you are fearfully and wonderfully made by God, handcrafted by him for divine purpose. You don’t need an outward adorning to fulfill that purpose. God said in Jeremiah 1:5; ‘Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations’. Your purpose was already there even before you came out of the womb. Let this truth dwell in your heart. Let us ponder on this question; what is the purpose of our beauty?
Why do we seek to make ourselves attractive? Is it to please men or to please God? If it is to please men, then making an outward adorning our priority is very much in place. However, if it is to please God, He would have our priority shifted to another kind of adorning, not that the other is not considered, just that this has a much higher priority. This adorning is called a meek and quiet spirit. Praise the Lord! Such an adornment! This is your most important daily adorning. This is what makes you attractive to your King and maker, all else is secondary. Have you considered what it means to be attractive to God? It means you always draw his attention; he keeps looking in your direction. Hallelujah! That is something that shouldn’t be traded for anything.
What kind of adornment is a meek and quiet spirit? Considering that this is to make one attractive, how does it work being that it is within a man and cannot be seen with physical eyes per se. it goes to show that it is beyond the physical realm though it is being manifested physically. The meek and quiet spirit shines through the believer as a light, a life that men can see and this attracts them to you and points them to Christ. As it was pointed out in our text earlier, it is this character that will help point an unbelieving husband to Christ even when the spoken word seems not to be working. Such a power! This can be wielded by the pilgrim who has such an adornment. It stands out as a witness to men. Godly women should therefore see this as an important adornment. In our daily walk with God, we should thus strive to have this seen in us. Have you ever come in contact with one who has this adorning? I have such a friend and I find her to be one of the most beautiful persons I know by virtue of this. It is always a pleasure being in her company. Many of us would like to be such persons, here is the secret! A beautiful face, body, dresses, hairs do, and accessories can never make up for the absence of this no matter how hard we try. Let us put the horse before the cart. We are called to be meek and to have a quiet spirit. A meek person exudes humility and is modest. A quiet spirit is one that is not easily provoked, not fast to react negatively despite prevailing circumstances. It is not quixotic. It remains calm and acts as led by the Spirit of God and not as the flesh pleases. Such a person is apt to follow God’s will and purpose for every situation.
No wonder this ornament is of great value/price before the Lord. A life that is attractive to God, finds favor in his eyes. A man, who has found favor before God, will find favor before men. A life that is attractive to God will attract men also. These men can then be pointed to Christ. This should be the purpose of our beauty. Physical beauty foremost attracts men to us. Spiritual beauty attracts men to Christ. This beauty is a lasting beauty, one that doesn’t fade with time, unlike the former. It is eternal. It never ceases to beautify. It is appropriate for every occasion; any time of the day, every weather, every situation in life.T
his is not to say that there is no place for physical adorning. This is not out of place for Christians but it shouldn’t be our top priority while we neglect that which is important. Our physical adorning however should be done modestly.
We are the bride of Christ, a beautiful Bride indeed in his sight, chosen and called by Him for his pleasure. Who is more to please than our Groom?
