Friday, May 10, 2013

Are you an Innie, or an Outie?

~Veronica Brown
 
While meditating upon this article I was tempted to title it, "Are You an Innie or an Outie?". Maybe as you continue reading you'll understand why. I was listening to a lesson recenlty about self-esteem in Christian women and was struck by a particular point. Thus this little blurb was born, as a reminder to myself and maybe as a help to others.

By definition, self-esteem is simply the value one... places on oneself. It is the degree to which you esteem yourself. Most women today readily admit that they struggle with low self-esteem. But should this be true among Christ's women?

If I am a woman of God then Colossians 3:3 applies to me--"For you died, and your life is hidden with God in Christ." If my life, my identity, is hidden in Christ wherein lies my real value? In myself? No. In Christ? Yes! As a Christian woman my self-esteem comes from a different place. It is no longer a pursuit of what I think or what others think is valuable. I now seek what Christ calls valuable. My self-esteem is based upon God's appraisal of value. What then does God value?

Consider first of all I Peter 3:3—"Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel..." This, in a nutshell, is what the world values. The things that can be seen, the outward. I don't have to tell you how evident this is in our culture. A concerted effort pushes onward to impress upon the minds and hearts of females that their outward appearance is what makes them valuable. Women of the world often strive their whole lifetime trying to reach that arbitrary standard. How wearisome that must be!

But now consider I Peter 3:4—"rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." This is what truly matters because this is what is precious to God. God values incorruptible beauty. He has always valued incorruptible beauty. While seeking King Saul's successor, Samuel went to the house of Jesse looking only at the outward appearance of Jesse's sons. "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look at the appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart'" (I Sam. 16:7). Israel's first king (Saul) certainly met the world's standard (I Sam. 9:2) but David met the Lord's.

If we are hidden in Christ then Christ will also be hiding in our hearts. He is, in a sense, that "hidden person of the heart." And because of Him we portray an everlasting beauty, the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, just like His (Mt. 11:28). Herein lies our value and the place from which our self-esteem flows. Do you suffer from low self-esteem? I hope not. But if you do, I hope you'll find release from the burden of the world's standards as you continue to develop your incorruptible beauty and aim to be an "Innie" instead of an "Outie".
 
Veronica is blessed to be the wife of Clint Brown. Clint currently preaches for the Farmersville church of Christ in north Texas. She is also blessed to be a stay at home mom to two boys, Jeremy (13) and Joshua (11). She has been a preacher's wife, Bible class teacher, missionary, and a host of other things for the Lord for the past 14 years and she's thankful for every moment God uses to mold her into His image

 
 

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