Tuesday-Unfading Beauty
- Chet Gladkowski
- Apr 7
- 4 min read
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
1 Peter 3:3,4
We all have this opinion of ourselves. You know what I mean, we think that everyone with half a brain will want to be our friend. To follow us on social media. And we’re shocked when someone questions one of our opinions that we posted. After all, we’re smart and loveable. We’re the kind of person that everyone would want to be their neighbor. So, I’m thinking that this story is going to shock you just as much as it knocked me off my feet.
I was driving through Tampa, Florida with Mary Ann, following directions on my phone to a store that sold sewing supplies. As we were enjoying our trip and time together, I was shocked and stunned as we drove by this building. The name on the outside not only caught my attention, but it made me turn around to make sure I wasn’t just making this up in my head. As I went by a second time, my first impressions were right. There was no mistake. There it was. As bold as can be. In big letters for all to see.
“Forever Young Aesthetics[1]” was the name on the building. And all along the front were these pictures of happy, healthy, and energetic people dancing their way through life. Their treatments included injectables, skin care, and lasers. But for more serious things, they had advanced treatments for more difficult skin issues.
And in case you’re thinking that I somehow found myself in the Twilight Zone, or some other dimension, looking young is big business. Actually, that’s wrong. It’s not big business at all. It’s huge. Just look at some of the numbers/
If you think that this is because our modern world is falling apart, you’d be wrong. It’s not just fallout from the decay created by our overuse of technology. Not on your life. There was a lot of emphasis on this very same thing way back in the first century. Even back then, people were trying to stop the hands of time from changing our appearance and bodies.
Peter saw this in the people around him and how it changed them. It took their eyes off the really important things in life. They started spending their time, energy, and money on things that were going to quickly fade away.
But instead on focusing on things that change like shifting sand, Peter points them and us onto things that last. Things that we have a say in. Things that we can invest in and control. He tells us two very important areas of life where we can make a giant difference in, if we pay attention to them.
Inner self. This is that part of us that’s beneath the surface. It’s who we are inside and we’re the only one who knows what’s going on with our thoughts, feelings, and attitudes. It’s not what people see, but it is the true reality of who we are.
Unfading beauty. While our bodies will weaken and get older, there is a beauty that the hands of time cannot touch. It cannot wrinkle. It never sags. It never gets weaker. As a matter of fact, it’s indestructible. It cannot be taken away.
And then, there are those words that just make everyong angry. How dare Peter tell us that a gentle and quiet spirit are of greater value. It makes 21st century people just explode inside when you read these words. The idea of having a gentle and quiet spirit is just so old-fashioned. It’s weakness when we’re to be strong. We’re to be powerful people that can handle anything. And I get it. But then I think about the only time that Jesus describes himself. What words do you think that God the Son uses about himself? Does he beat his chest to show everyone just how great he is? Actually, no. He goes in just the opposite direction when it comes to who Jesus is on the inside.
I am gentle and humble in heart.
Matthew 11:29
WOW! Will we listen to how Jesus wants us to see and experience him? He calls himself gentle; he not a bully. He’s humble; not all about getting his own way. What he wants. And since we’re called to be more and more like Jesus[5], it’s time to start moving in this direction right now. No more delaying. We need to change directions and begin the life-long journey of being more and more like Jesus in our words, thoughts, actions, and attitudes. The unfading beauty of Jesus needs to be our goal. So, let’s start. Now.
Noodling Questions
How does the desire to become more powerful hurt you and the ones you love?
Why is it so easy to just focus on the outside vs. what’s inside? Explain.
What are you doing to become more and more gentle and humble in heart?
[5] Romans 8:29
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