Blessed are the Meek
Blessed Are The Meek
Over the years, beauty has been defined in many different ways. Without formally saying it, women have always been told what to be over the generations. Although the standards of beauty are continuously changing, it never strays too far from societies initial claim. The world states that beauty stems from outer appearances. Magazines, Hollywood, and TV will all tell you about the latest diet or “who wore it better.” This idea of beauty is type casted as an attribute that, with hard work, only certain women can achieve. In result, many women misplace their worth in this unrealistic expectation that beauty is something to be gained. Yet the Bible tells us, beauty is something we already possess. If you look to the Bible for confirmation instead of today’s magazines, you will see what God truly says about what makes a person beautiful.
The word “meekness” correlates to humility, gentleness, and quietude. Although these words may not seem like much, it is something that God looks at more highly than riches or gold. A humble spirit that loves the Lord should be a lot more sought after than attention or acceptance from others. A woman who shows meekness does not feel the need to correct other’s opinions of herself because she knows that only God’s opinion is what matters. She is so firmly rooted in her identity that she knows the strength she carries, yet never boasts in it.
Lately, it seems almost as if women think in order to stand out and make a difference they must be loud and act almost aggressively. Now I am all for being bold and acting in big ways, but people often tend to overlook the importance of a gentle spirit and a pure heart. Beauty should not have to be waved around like a big red flag in order to be acknowledged. Beauty is shown in the tenderness of a caring voice or a simple act of kindness when no one is looking.
On the other side, men are told that manhood comes from growing a big beard, being aggressive with their friends and treating women as objects to be consumed rather than gentle souls to be cherished and edified through gentle teaching. Men watch movies like Old Westerns or the Gladiator and think that they should act that way when in reality Biblical manhood looks vastly different. Men are called to plead with the Lord on their face in total surrender and like the Psalmist David, to write out their feelings and to sing to the Lord. Matt Chandler says that the Devil is terrified of men crying out to the Lord, and working out their salvation with fear and trembling, not of men being “manly” and shoving their emotions into a box (this is a paraphrase of what Matt Chandler said, not a direct quote).
1 Peter 3:3-4 “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 Samuel 16:7 “The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Proverbs 31:30 “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.