Skin Deep

“For he who sees beauty only skin deep suffers from a blindness that only our Creator can heal.” ~Yours Truly 

“He who views beauty on the surface is blind to what is real, true and meaningful.” ~Yours Truly

It’s perfectly fun, fine and dandy to doll yourself up. Who doesn’t want to be presentable to the eyes of the people they pass throughout the day? Some like to doll up more than others, but to each his/her own. All it’s doing is enhancing your attributes so that you glow a little brighter, right?

It’s nice to feel beautiful... but do you ever find yourself just not completely satisfied, even after all your dolling up? Soak in what you are about to read, because it may just change your insecurities into complete confidence, dolled up or not.

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You know how grown-ups stop and tell parent’s how beautiful their little girl is? Well ever since I can remember (even at the age of 2 or 3), whenever my mother was told this, or even if I was told directly, my mother ALWAYS reminded me where beauty is. Time and time, over and over, while growing up, my mother would say “Where does beauty come from?” And I was to say “the heart”. Today, I am more than thankful to have had this concept instilled in me. I may not have known exactly what it meant when I was little bitty, but I began to know it at a young age and have grown up to never forget it.

"...For the Lord sees not as man sees. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." -1 Samuel 16:7

It’s MORE than easy to get wrapped up in what our “world” perceives as beauty, but it’s so important to not! True, authentic beauty starts in the heart and spreads throughout. What I mean by this is when our Heavenly Father lives in your heart, He fills it with life-touching traits that are to be used to show others His beauty. God is nothing but pure beauty. He is perfect. He is love. Speaking of love, love is probably the most beautiful thing to exist, at least the type of love that God teaches us to have. 

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” -1 Corinthians 13:13

See when God is in your heart, he fills your heart with love. He expects you to show and share that love.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” -Mark 12: 30-31

What is love?

“Love is patient, live is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always perseveres.” -1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." -Collosians 3:12

All these attributes of love describe a truly beautiful person. 

Some of the most popular words a person wants to her is “You are just as beautiful inside as you are on the out”. We all know that for someone to see the beauty inside of us is the greatest compliment we could ever receive. It’s such an amazing feeling to be recognized for the person you truly are, not just your outer shell. It’s important though, if you hear these words, to give praise and thanks to the Lord for allowing Him to live in you and shine through you. Self-gratification is a hard thing to bury, but it can be done if your goal in life is to live for Him and not yourself.

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." -Galations 2:20

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So, how can one become truly beautiful and always feel beautiful, you ask? Well, that’s easy. You must invite our one and only Lord and Savior into your heart, if you haven’t already. If you have, you may just need to redirect your focus on Him and ask Him to help you tweak some things on the inside, and help you to start seeing yourself and others through His eyes and not the world's. 

Once you decide to transform your heart, a divine makeover will happen that only He, the Master, is capable of. Once He starts to reign over your heart and your life, you will naturally start to possess the characteristics that make you a beautiful person (the ones we talked about earlier). You will then be able to see yourself the way God sees you - as His already perfectly-made creation with an incredible heart that loves Him and loves people.

"I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well." -Psalm 139:14

You can be confident in the true beauty you possess. You no longer feel the need to compare yourself to what the “world” sees as compelling or beautiful. You no longer see just your outer layer when you look in the mirror, but you see the inner. You know who you are, you know who God wants you to be, and you are confident in His plans for your life. You know you are fearfully and wonderfully made. 

Acknowledging what beauty truly is and letting God turn you into who He wants you to be gives you a risen confidence that no longer allows you to compare yourself in an only skin-deep way.

"Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." -Psalm 34:5

For those of us who have given our whole heart to Jesus, we shall let our confidence exude! Through our smiles, our words, and our actions, real beauty will be seen! Let us walk like Jesus, being confident in who we are, yet humble enough to show His love.

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On a side note, those who cannot see what is so special inside of you are still blind to the Light, but keep on shining, because they will eventually see, and you may perhaps be the beautiful light that led their hearts in the direction of the path of divine healing and reconstruction. 

~

If you have a genuine desire for a spiritual makeover, say a little prayer to our Master Designer and He’ll be happy to start right away :)

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day." -2 Corinthians 4:16

I hope you found this little note encouraging! Have a great day today and even better day tomorrow!

~Lindsey Gray

Listen to this awesome song!

"More Beautiful You" -Jonny Diaz

When Oceans Rise

When Oceans Rise...

If you haven’t reached a point or two in life where you have felt the waves crashing and your spirit crushing/drowning, you will one day. Believe me. You may have already experience this type of challenge or you may currently be fighting an ocean that’s wakes just feel too strong to get through. Rest assured, what you have been through, what you are going through, or what you will go through, is only a bridge you had/have to cross to find sunshine after the rain.

You know the saying, “If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it”?  Well, this is almost true. Really and truthfully, God allows you to reach a certain point or experience certain things in life in order not to just bring you through it, but to bring you to an even better place than you can imagine. He gives you this opportunity to cling to Him, re-direct your focus on Him, and allow your heart to learn the lessons of your past and begin to see the beauty of a new future.  

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall directyour paths.”  ~Proverbs 3:5-6

“And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. “ ~Isaiah 58:11

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint.” ~Isaiah 40:31

Whether it’s a tragedy, a heartbreak, or just plain uncertainty about your position in life, God wants you to rely on Him. He wants to see your faith strengthen and your trust grow, and through these two things, feel the comfort of the Holy Spirit. 

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” ~Matthew 5:4

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” ~Psalm 147:3

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. …Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” ~Psalm 23:4,6

See, He has to break you, so He can shake you, so He can make you... into what He wants... into a better you.. into a more powerful and beautiful you, so that He can use you and bring joy into your life.

"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. ~ John 16:13

It’s natural to cry out WHY? Why did this happen? Why do I have to go through this? Why can’t my life just be a fairy tale? But, as His son or daughter, you must re-direct from "WHY" to "WHAT"... What can I do to learn and grow from this so that my future will be brighter and that I may be more fulfilled? 

(The best fulfillment and greatest peace you will ever discover and experience is spiritual fulfillment and peace in that you are a child of God and in His hands at all times.  When you are fulfilled spiritually, you are confident in the person God made you to be and in your desire and effort to live for Him.  When you become a child of God and discover true peace, you have a peace in your heart that comforts you no matter what stage you are in or what you are facing in life. God’s peace gives you rest and assures you of a beautiful after-math plan.)

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. ~Psalm 27:14

Hillsong United “Oceans” is one of the most powerful, spirit-felt cries to God I’ve ever heard/sung.

The lyrics cry a message to God in that when troubled times are at hand, you can rest in the arms of your Savior, because He is the ultimate Protector and Healer, and only plans for great things. (It’s our job to CHOOSE to look to Him, to rely on Him and have faith in His greater plan).  

You call me out upon the waters

The great unknown where feet may fail

And there I find You in the mystery

In oceans deep

My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters

Your sovereign hand

Will be my guide

Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me

You've never failed and You won't start now

The last part of the songs cries to the Holy Spirit to lead you to where you have endless trust and to allow yourself to dig deeper in your faith than ever before so that you come out a better and stronger you and closer to God than ever before, able to live for Him in a way you would have never been able to had you not experienced the risen oceans!

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

So many people struggle with how to go on in times of despair and in times of hurt. I’ve been there, I know. I’ve had my heart torn and ripped to where I did not want to have to face healing. I just wanted everything to completely go away. Through diving into His Word and gaining wisdom through Godly council, I’ve learned that we MUST face our challenges and look our torture dead in the eye without fear. We must call on God to walk us every step of the way out of the valley and lead us to the top of the mountain.

You see, when you are at a lowest point in life, God isn’t waiting at the top of the mountain for you to get to Him by yourself, He is right there with you in your lowest of lows, ready to walk beside you, comfort you, and shine His guiding light to lead you to a better place.

So just remember, when oceans rise, let your soul rest in His embrace.  God is not the creator of fear, pain and darkness, but of love, comfort and light. Let Him hold you, let Him guide you.

Remember that this is all part of the journey. He is the potter and we are the clay. We all have to go through molding and shaping. As much as it may sting, it's only temporary. Enjoy the journey and be thankful for God’s craftsmanship and who He is turning you into, because it’s all for His glory and it’s all absolutely beautiful! Your testimony of faith will make a difference in not only your own life but it will be used to bless others as well.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

“For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee” ~Psalm 84:11-12

Happy February 2016!

I hope you found blessing through this reading.

Love to all!

~Lindsey Gray

Close your eyes, give your heart to God and let the Spirit speak as you listen to Hillsong United's “Oceans” (Where Feet May Fail)