So, what does this mean? I chose this as the title of my blog because that is what I'm striving to be-beautiful in my heart (notice I didn't say I am...I'm striving to be:)). One of my favorite verses comes in 1 Peter right after we have been told that "outward adornment" is not what we should be concerned with,"You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the
unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God." 1 Peter 3:4 NLT. Another translation says "Be beautiful in your heart"...which I love even more, so I like to combine the two translations for myself...Be beautiful in your heart, with the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.
Be beautiful in your heart...
I just love this, because over and over the bible tells us that the Lord looks at our heart.
-"The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
-"then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know every human heart)," 1 Kings 8:39
He doesn't care if we have the latest styles or nicest jewels...he sees our hearts. The good and the bad! Scary, huh? He knows if our hearts are hard towards him...he knows! And not only does he know, but others around us...
-"...For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." Matthew 12:34 (That's really something to think on!)
...with the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit...
I pray every day to be gentle and quiet in the way I deal with my children, talk to my husband, my students at school, the slow lady in the car in front of me.:) And let me tell you. It. Is.Hard. I like to get things done, check things off my list, say something once and have it immediately obeyed. But guess what? I live in this world with other humans, who are sinful like me, and I can't control them any more than I can control anything. And so I am not always gentle and quiet when things don't go my way. But the Lord tells us to bear the fruits of the spirit in Matthew 5:22
"But the fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control."
If I could be all of these things-joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, gentle, faithful, and self-controlled, I believe I would have a gentle and quiet spirit, so that is what I am thinking on...how to be all of these things with the help of Jesus!
...which is so precious to God.
-"He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him." Psalm 72:14
-"The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God." Daniel 9:23
Precious to God...unbelievable that we ARE precious to God! I love the word precious. It makes me think of something so loved, so unbelievably adored, that it is just precious. And what is most precious? This tells us a beautiful heart and a gentle, quiet spirit.
My God is precious to me, and I pray that when he sees my heart, he will see a heart longing to please him and love him and know him more. That in spite of my failures and sins, he will see a heart that longs to be precious to Him.
"For God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything." 1 John 3:20
I have taught my daughter this verse and refer to it often. I want her little heart to be beautiful as well. On a simpler level, we talk about the ways we can be "beautiful in our hearts" and here is what she came up with:
1.Be kind.
2.Obey.
3.Help others.
It's a good start!:) I'm working on them with her...and especially on the "obey" part...more on that soon.:)
Be beautiful in your heart...
I just love this, because over and over the bible tells us that the Lord looks at our heart.
-"The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
-"then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know every human heart)," 1 Kings 8:39
He doesn't care if we have the latest styles or nicest jewels...he sees our hearts. The good and the bad! Scary, huh? He knows if our hearts are hard towards him...he knows! And not only does he know, but others around us...
-"...For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." Matthew 12:34 (That's really something to think on!)
...with the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit...
I pray every day to be gentle and quiet in the way I deal with my children, talk to my husband, my students at school, the slow lady in the car in front of me.:) And let me tell you. It. Is.Hard. I like to get things done, check things off my list, say something once and have it immediately obeyed. But guess what? I live in this world with other humans, who are sinful like me, and I can't control them any more than I can control anything. And so I am not always gentle and quiet when things don't go my way. But the Lord tells us to bear the fruits of the spirit in Matthew 5:22
"But the fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control."
If I could be all of these things-joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, gentle, faithful, and self-controlled, I believe I would have a gentle and quiet spirit, so that is what I am thinking on...how to be all of these things with the help of Jesus!
...which is so precious to God.
-"He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him." Psalm 72:14
-"The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God." Daniel 9:23
Precious to God...unbelievable that we ARE precious to God! I love the word precious. It makes me think of something so loved, so unbelievably adored, that it is just precious. And what is most precious? This tells us a beautiful heart and a gentle, quiet spirit.
My God is precious to me, and I pray that when he sees my heart, he will see a heart longing to please him and love him and know him more. That in spite of my failures and sins, he will see a heart that longs to be precious to Him.
"For God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything." 1 John 3:20
I have taught my daughter this verse and refer to it often. I want her little heart to be beautiful as well. On a simpler level, we talk about the ways we can be "beautiful in our hearts" and here is what she came up with:
1.Be kind.
2.Obey.
3.Help others.
It's a good start!:) I'm working on them with her...and especially on the "obey" part...more on that soon.:)
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