How Do You Know

“How do you know? You’ve never seen me without makeup.”

I blink at my friend and quickly replay what I just told her: “You’re pretty with or without makeup.”

Have I seen her without makeup? I wonder then quickly replay the past few months I have known her.  Nope, no images of her without makeup pop up in my head. This is awkward… and I’ve been quiet for too long. What do I say? Should I tell her she’s pretty because God made her or should I just keep quiet?

“Uh… well I just know,” I mumble, barely audible, but she’s already gone back to talking to someone else. Opportunity to encourage missed. I sigh and look down at my schoolwork trying to forget the whole thing.

However sadly with me I either forget something entirely (like the majority of my childhood. Don’t ask) or dread on it for weeks or months or even years. Please pray for me. Anyway this was one of those things that I remembered and pondered over. Did I really know if she was “pretty” and what should I have said to her?

First I thought of the word “pretty”. The dictionary defines it as:

1. with pleasant face: having an attractive pleasant face that is graceful and appealing rather than outstandingly beautiful
2. nice to look at: pleasing or charming in a delicate, gentle, or decorative way

But honestly none of that matters. The culture of today honestly defines what “pretty” is but culture changes. I’ve learned in World History that back in the day (way before the 21^st century) Russian woman painted their teeth black. That was the style and that was “pretty”. In China women would do something called “foot binding” to look pretty. Google that if you want to be scared for life. So “pretty” is a cultural and time thing. It changes constantly like the seasons so no one can really keep up. But that’s not what I would have told my friend, even though that’s true.

This is what I would have told her and it’s what I would tell anyone else:

“When God shaped you in the womb he did not say ‘Oh wow, every other person I have created turned out great but this one is… well this one is just wrong. But I guess since I’ve come this far I’ll let her be born and live among the common. But she can only go out in public if she puts cosmetics on her messed up face.’ He just wouldn’t say that because it wouldn’t be true. God is perfect and makes no mistakes. Every human is beautiful because they are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and He Himself IS BEAUTY. He is perfect.”

That’s what I should have told her.

Psalm 139:13-14

 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.

I am not going to say that makeup is bad and I’m not going to say people shouldn’t care about what they look like because we should want to look nice. However that being said we can’t let our looks be everything because guess what. Age happens. Wrinkles appear. Butts sag. That’s life. And I know this statement is like totally over used but “it’s what’s on the inside that counts”.  But don’t take that from me, take it from God.

1 Peter 3:3-4

 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—  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.

Proverbs 31:30

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

1 Samuel 16:7b

For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."

So if God’s not all that concerned with how people dress themselves up, I don’t want to be either. It’s easier to temporarily make myself “look good” but I want a challenge so I’m going to do two things:

1.      Stop looking at people’s outward appearance and getting jealous of what they have and what I lack. I’m going to start focusing on people’s hearts like God does, because hearts don’t sag.

2.      I’m going to start beautifying my heart and fill it with the fruits of the spirit. I’m going to let the inside beauty shine.

All of this changing from the inside out is a battle that will take a lot of time and prayer. But knowing is half the battle. And I know something a lot of people don’t: People are made in the image of God. That’s how I know everyone is beautiful without makeup.