Brittney Ford, Children’s Council, Children’s Ministries Hospitality Team Lead, VBS Teacher, Member since 2007

Proverbs 31:30
“Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.”

Reflection:
This is NOT a Proverbs 31 lesson. I am not using this space to help you grow into a Christian-culture-approved Proverbs 31 woman. In fact, the core message here doesn’t exclude men. Undoubtedly, this is a chapter of Proverbs that we are familiar with, as dozens of books have been written about this chapter, an entire organized ministry has formed around it and it was likely part of your premarital counseling. However, I want to encourage you to look at it a different way this year. Let’s dig a little deeper. This proverb directly addresses that when vanity is valued above faith in God, we’ve got some reassessing to do. 

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.”

This proverb was read a few weeks ago at my husband’s grandmother’s funeral. Mimi, as I came to know her, was a beautiful woman filled with charm, love, humor, and a plethora of stories to share. Mimi would never describe herself as “churchy,” but she loved the Lord and knew from where her abundant blessings came. When the scripture was read at the funeral, I was surprised at the choice. But as I considered it, the selection made perfect sense.

At the age of 98, vanity was not high on Mimi’s priority list. She had other priorities like her overall health, catching up with the priests who routinely came to visit her, seeing photos of her great-grandkids pop up on her digital frame, and making sure she always had a Stouffer’s Salisbury Steak Dinner in the freezer. As I sit here typing with my manicured nails and salon-treated hair (and frankly, some other treatments I don’t care to mention), I simply wonder if my priorities are in order like Mimi’s were. Am I focused too much on myself to see what really matters?

It doesn’t take a Bible scholar to unpack what this proverb is teaching us. It’s not our outward beauty that matters to God, it’s our character. Our Father is FAR more concerned about who we are than what we look like. Reading this, it’s easy to think that the takeaway is obvious. That’s because it is. 

What if this year we commit to working on our heart more than our appearance. After all, beauty is vain. Of course, we don’t want to neglect health or outward appearance, but maybe take an intentional look at spiritual health, too. Some of the things that help me do this is studying Scripture, praying aloud, having a thought-provoking conversation about how God is moving in my life. Even singing aloud to my favorite hymn adds to my spiritual health. 

Mimi was on to something. Perhaps the true fulfillment in life comes from within. Loving the Lord with all of your soul, taking care of your spiritual health, and fiercely loving those around you sounds awfully fulfilling. And I don’t think you can find those things at any spa.

Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for reminding us that we are yours and that you love us for who we are rather than what we look like. You make all things new and all things beautiful. Thank you for making me beautiful in your eyes. In your name, we pray. Amen.